The Maharashtra Assembly’s special session, which commenced on Saturday, has been adjourned until December 8 after 173 newly elected MLAs took their oath of office.
Despite opposition from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs Abu Azmi and Raees Sheikh were among those sworn in during the session. However, 115 MLAs, primarily from the opposition, are yet to take their oaths.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Boycotts Oath-Taking Amid EVM Concerns
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray announced that his party’s winning MLAs would not take their oath on Saturday, raising concerns about the legitimacy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“If this was the mandate of the people, there would have been celebrations. However, there was no such enthusiasm from the public. We have doubts about EVMs,” Thackeray said.
In a symbolic gesture, Aaditya Thackeray, along with party workers, paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Vidhan Bhavan complex.
Government’s Response to Allegations
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar countered Thackeray’s allegations, advising the opposition to approach the Election Commission or courts if they had concerns about the EVMs.
“There is no point in making such allegations here. They should go to the Election Commission, and if they do not get justice there, they should approach the court,” Pawar stated.
Leaders Take Oath and Pay Tribute
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, took their oaths as MLAs. Before the session, they paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Vidhan Bhavan.
BJP-Led Alliance Secures Landmark Victory in Elections
The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 marked a decisive victory for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which won 235 seats. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena (57 seats) and the Nationalist Congress Party (41 seats).
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major blow, with Congress securing only 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) winning 20 seats, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) gaining 10 seats.
Pro-Tem Speaker Appointed
Senior BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker by Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Friday, a day before the three-day special session began.