Maharashtra

Nagpur, Nov 23 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday that "anything can happen in cricket and politics", and expressed confidence that the new BJP-led government in Maharashtra will pass the floor test.

The BJP's Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday returned as Maharashtra chief minister for a second term, propped up by NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who took oath as deputy chief minister.

Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) The NCP on Saturday removed Ajit Pawar as its legislature party leader after he joined hands with the BJP to form government and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state.

"The decision to sack Ajit Pawar was taken at the meeting of the party's MLAs here," party sources said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar was present at the meeting.

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday asserted that Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister early this morning, will have to step down "shamefully" as all its MLAs and those of the NCP, except a few from the Sharad Pawar-led party, are together.

Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said it is "shameful that the President and the governor have stooped to the standard of RSS workers for facilitating this dissolute political treachery as the chief minister was sworn in disgracefully under cover of darkness".

Mumbai, 24 Nov 2019, PTI: Here are the latest political developments in Maharashtra;

12.02 am: Maha case: SC says none is disputing that floor test is best method to show majority.

11.53 am: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appears for Centre, says combine does not have fundamental right to form govt, their plea can't be allowed.

11.50 am: Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appears in SC for some BJP and independent MLAs, says this plea should have been filed in Bombay HC.

Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) NCP president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the decision of his nephew Ajit Pawar to join hands with the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra was an act of indiscipline and attracts provisions of anti-defection law.

Pawar was addressing a joint press conference with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray here.

"Ajit Pawar's decision is an act of indiscipline. No NCP worker is in favour of the NCP-BJP government. NCP MLAs who support the BJP should know this move attracts provisions of anti-defection law," he said.

Nagpur, Nov 22 (PTI) A tiger on Friday killed a bull and a cow in Parseoni tehsil in Maharashtra's Nagpur district, an official said.

The cow and bull belonged to Hemraj Meshram and were in his field when the big cat attacked, he said.

Meshram said he had sustained a loss of Rs 50,000 due to the death of his cattle and demanded that state authorities pay compensation.

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) The BJP-NCP government took charge in Maharashtra on Saturday after the President's rule, imposed in the state a fortnight ago, was revoked at 5.47 am.

According to a Home Ministry notification, President Ram Nath Kovind issued the proclamation for revocation of the central rule this morning.

Thane, Nov 23 (PTI) A district court sentenced a 25- year-old labourer to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his 17-year-old neighbour in Maharashtra's Thane district.

In an order issued on November 18, additional sessions judge P P Jadhav also fined the accused Mubarak Mohammadali Sayyad a sum of Rs 25,000.

Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) The month-long political impasse in Maharashtra ended dramatically on Saturday with Devendra Fadnavis returning as the chief minister, backed by the Sharad Pawar-led NCP

NCP's Ajit Pawar was sworn-in as the deputy chief minister

Mumbai, Nov 21 (PTI) There has been a rise of 22 per cent in rape cases in Mumbai and 51 per cent in instances of sexual assault from 2014-15 to 2018-19, according to the NGO Praja Foundation.

The NGO, in its report published on Thursday, said there has been an alarming increase in the number of crime cases against women and children in the metropolis.