Uddhav Thackeray To Take Oath As Maharashtra CM Today, NCP Gets Deputy CM, Speaker From Congress

The Nationalist Congress Party will get deputy chief minister’s post in the new Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, NCP leader Praful Patel said here on Wednesday night. The Congress will get Assembly Speaker’s post while the NCP will get deputy Speaker’s post, Patel told reporters after a meeting of the the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

He also said that alongwith Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who will be sworn in as chief minister on Thursday evening, one or two members of each of the three parties will take oath as ministers. There will be only one deputy CM’s post in the government, he added.

Earlier, there were reports that had suggested that apart from the Chief Minister portfolio, Shiv Sena will have 15 ministers in Maharashtra cabinet while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will have Deputy Chief Minister and 13 other ministers, sources said on Wednesday.

"Apart from Chief Minister, Shiv Sena to have 15 ministers, NCP to have Deputy Chief Minister and 13 other ministers. Congress to have Assembly Speaker and 13 ministers," sources told ANI.

The 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi', comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress along with some small parties and Independents, had staked claim for government formation in the state after the BJP-led government collapsed on Tuesday. The coalition of the three parties chose Uddhav Thackeray as the leader of the alliance and nominated him for the chief minister's post.

Thackeray will be sworn-in as the 18th Maharashtra chief minister on November 28 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Alongwith Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister, one or two members from each of the three parties are also expected to take oath as ministers. The Shiv Sena has invited several state heads of Congress-ruled states for Uddhav Thackeray's swearing in ceremony.

Uddhav's son Aditya Thackeray personally invited Congress Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh for his father's swearing-in. Although the Gandhi family is unlikely to attend the function, at least two chief ministers from Congress-ruled states are will witness the ocassion. Uddhav Thackeray is also said to have dialed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite him for his oath-taking ceremony. PM Modi too is unlikely to attend.