News Analysis India

Tag: Maharashtra politics

  • Maharashtra cabinet: Fadnavis gets Home; Shinde to handle Urban Development

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday allocated the crucial Home portfolio to Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

    Shinde, who expanded his two-member cabinet on August 9 by inducting 18 ministers, has kept the Urban Development portfolio with himself.

    A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said Fadnavis will also handle the Finance and Planning ministry, and BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil will be the new Revenue minister.

    BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has been made the Forest minister, a portfolio he handled earlier.

    Former state BJP president Chandrakant Patil is the new minister for higher and technical education. He will also look after parliamentary affairs.

    From the Shinde-led group of Shiv Sena rebels, Deepak Kesarkar is the new minister for school education, while Abdul Sattar has been given the Agriculture portfolio.

    READ HERE | ‘No respect for women’: NCP’s Supriya Sule slams Shinde’s ‘all-male’ Cabinet

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday allocated the crucial Home portfolio to Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

    Shinde, who expanded his two-member cabinet on August 9 by inducting 18 ministers, has kept the Urban Development portfolio with himself.

    A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said Fadnavis will also handle the Finance and Planning ministry, and BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil will be the new Revenue minister.

    BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has been made the Forest minister, a portfolio he handled earlier.

    Former state BJP president Chandrakant Patil is the new minister for higher and technical education. He will also look after parliamentary affairs.

    From the Shinde-led group of Shiv Sena rebels, Deepak Kesarkar is the new minister for school education, while Abdul Sattar has been given the Agriculture portfolio.

    READ HERE | ‘No respect for women’: NCP’s Supriya Sule slams Shinde’s ‘all-male’ Cabinet

  • Maharashtra cabinet: BJP gets key ministries, Fadnavis gets Home and Finance; Shinde to handle Urban Development

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Five days after the induction of 18 ministers into his cabinet, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday distributed portfolios, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) getting several key ministries, including the Home and Finance that will be handled by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

    Shinde kept Urban Development and 11 other ministries with himself.

    Shinde, whose rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership had led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, had taken oath as the chief minister on June 30 with the support of the BJP.

    Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy.

    In addition to Home and Finance and Planning, Fadnavis will also handle Law and Judiciary, Water Resources, Housing, Energy and Protocol portfolios.

    Another important portfolio – the Revenue Department – has been given to BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who had quit the Congress a few months before the 2019 Assembly elections to join the saffron party.

    Shinde had expanded his two-member ministry on Tuesday, 41 days after taking oath as the chief minister by inducting 18 ministers – nine each from his rebel Shiv Sena group and the BJP.

    However, the list did not include any woman.

    READ HERE | ‘No respect for women’: NCP’s Supriya Sule slams Shinde’s ‘all-male’ Cabinet

    Apart from the Urban Development Department, CM Shinde has kept with himself General Administration Department, Public Works Department (public sector undertakings), Information and Public Relations, Transport, Marketing, Social Justice, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation, Soil and Water Conservation, Environment and Climate Change and Minority Development.

    From the BJP’s side Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, Vijaykumar Gavit, Suresh Khade, Ravindra Chavan, Atul Save and Mangal Prabhat Lodha were inducted as ministers.

    Chandrakant Patil, considered close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has been allocated Higher and Technical Education, Textile and Parliamentary Affairs ministries.

    In the past, he had handled PWD and Cooperation ministries.

    Mungantiwar has been allocated Forest, Fisheries Development and Cultural Affairs portfolios.

    During his 2014-19 stint, he had headed Finance and Planning as well as Forest ministries.

    Atul Save has been given Cooperation and OBC Welfare departments, while Ravindra Chavan has got PWD and Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection ministries.

    Both of them were Minister of State for a brief period in the past.

    Former Mumbai BJP chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha has got Tourism Development, Skill Development and Women and Child Development ministries.

    Fadnavis’ close confidant Girish Mahajan has been given the responsibility of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Medical Education and Sport and Youth development.

    Dr Vijaykumar Gavit has been given Tribal Development department, while BJP MLA from western Maharashtra, Suresh Khade has been given the responsibility of Labour ministry.

    From the Shinde-led group of Shiv Sena rebels, Deepak Kesarkar is the new minister for School Education.

    Gulabrao Patil has retained Water Supply and Sanitation department, while Dada Bhuse, who previously held Agriculture, will now handle Ports and Mining.

    Abdul Sattar has been given Agriculture department.

    Uday Samant, who was previously the Higher and Technical Education minister, has been given the Industries department.

    A controversial leader from the Shinde camp, Sanjay Rathod, will handle Food and Drugs Department.

    Rathod, who was the forest minister when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister, was forced to resign after BJP leaders blamed him for a woman’s suicide.

    While Tanaji Sawant has been given the responsibility of Public Health and Family Welfare department, Shambhuraj Desai will handle the Excise department, and Sandipan Bhumre Employment Guarantee Scheme and Horticulture ministries.

    Meanwhile, Fadnavis on Sunday said the BJP and the Shinde camp can exchange some portfolios ahead of the next cabinet expansion if needed.

    “There is no dispute between the BJP and CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena over the portfolio distribution.

    If required, we can exchange some portfolios ahead of the next cabinet expansion,” said Fadnavis.

    He was responding to a query about himself and Shinde holding several portfolios among themselves.

    Maharashtra cabinet’s maximum allowed strength is 43.

    MUMBAI: Five days after the induction of 18 ministers into his cabinet, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday distributed portfolios, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) getting several key ministries, including the Home and Finance that will be handled by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

    Shinde kept Urban Development and 11 other ministries with himself.

    Shinde, whose rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership had led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, had taken oath as the chief minister on June 30 with the support of the BJP.

    Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy.

    In addition to Home and Finance and Planning, Fadnavis will also handle Law and Judiciary, Water Resources, Housing, Energy and Protocol portfolios.

    Another important portfolio – the Revenue Department – has been given to BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who had quit the Congress a few months before the 2019 Assembly elections to join the saffron party.

    Shinde had expanded his two-member ministry on Tuesday, 41 days after taking oath as the chief minister by inducting 18 ministers – nine each from his rebel Shiv Sena group and the BJP.

    However, the list did not include any woman.

    READ HERE | ‘No respect for women’: NCP’s Supriya Sule slams Shinde’s ‘all-male’ Cabinet

    Apart from the Urban Development Department, CM Shinde has kept with himself General Administration Department, Public Works Department (public sector undertakings), Information and Public Relations, Transport, Marketing, Social Justice, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation, Soil and Water Conservation, Environment and Climate Change and Minority Development.

    From the BJP’s side Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, Vijaykumar Gavit, Suresh Khade, Ravindra Chavan, Atul Save and Mangal Prabhat Lodha were inducted as ministers.

    Chandrakant Patil, considered close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has been allocated Higher and Technical Education, Textile and Parliamentary Affairs ministries.

    In the past, he had handled PWD and Cooperation ministries.

    Mungantiwar has been allocated Forest, Fisheries Development and Cultural Affairs portfolios.

    During his 2014-19 stint, he had headed Finance and Planning as well as Forest ministries.

    Atul Save has been given Cooperation and OBC Welfare departments, while Ravindra Chavan has got PWD and Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection ministries.

    Both of them were Minister of State for a brief period in the past.

    Former Mumbai BJP chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha has got Tourism Development, Skill Development and Women and Child Development ministries.

    Fadnavis’ close confidant Girish Mahajan has been given the responsibility of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Medical Education and Sport and Youth development.

    Dr Vijaykumar Gavit has been given Tribal Development department, while BJP MLA from western Maharashtra, Suresh Khade has been given the responsibility of Labour ministry.

    From the Shinde-led group of Shiv Sena rebels, Deepak Kesarkar is the new minister for School Education.

    Gulabrao Patil has retained Water Supply and Sanitation department, while Dada Bhuse, who previously held Agriculture, will now handle Ports and Mining.

    Abdul Sattar has been given Agriculture department.

    Uday Samant, who was previously the Higher and Technical Education minister, has been given the Industries department.

    A controversial leader from the Shinde camp, Sanjay Rathod, will handle Food and Drugs Department.

    Rathod, who was the forest minister when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister, was forced to resign after BJP leaders blamed him for a woman’s suicide.

    While Tanaji Sawant has been given the responsibility of Public Health and Family Welfare department, Shambhuraj Desai will handle the Excise department, and Sandipan Bhumre Employment Guarantee Scheme and Horticulture ministries.

    Meanwhile, Fadnavis on Sunday said the BJP and the Shinde camp can exchange some portfolios ahead of the next cabinet expansion if needed.

    “There is no dispute between the BJP and CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena over the portfolio distribution.

    If required, we can exchange some portfolios ahead of the next cabinet expansion,” said Fadnavis.

    He was responding to a query about himself and Shinde holding several portfolios among themselves.

    Maharashtra cabinet’s maximum allowed strength is 43.

  • Despite betrayal by those whom Sena trusted, grassroot Shiv Sainiks still with party: Aaditya Thackeray

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday claimed the grassroot Shiv Sena workers were firmly with the organisation, despite “betrayal” by those whom the party trusted.

    Speaking in Mumbai’s northern suburb Dahisar as part of his ‘Nishtha (loyalty) Yatra’, Aaditya Thackeray said those who wanted to leave the Sena have gone, but the grassroot Shiv Sainiks continue to support the party, led by his father and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

    Last month, a majority of the Sena MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde, rebelled against the party leadership, asking it to snap ties with the NCP and the Congress. The revolt in the party led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

    On June 30, Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister, while BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy CM.

    Since the revolt, both the factions, led by Uddhav Thackeray and CM Shinde, have repeatedly claimed to be the real Shiv Sena.

    “In each constituency, we have two to three formidable Shiv Sainiks men and women who are ready to take on political rivals at the hustings,” said Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

    Later, talking to reporters, the former minister said the Shiv Sena has been “betrayed” by those it trusted. “Those who are happy to leave should have the guts to face fresh elections.

    The doors of ‘Matoshree’ (the private residence of Thackerays in suburban Bandra) are open to all those who wish to return,” he said.

  • Credit for bringing down MVA government in Maharashtra goes to ED and CBI: Mehbooba

    “Today, Shinde has 50 to 60 people with him and the (MVA) government falls there (in Maharashtra),” she added.

  • Maharashtra Assembly session from today; Shinde government to face floor test on July 4

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The four-day-old Shiv Sena-BJP government will face the floor test on July 4 during the special two-day session of the Legislative Assembly beginning here Sunday.

    The election to the post of the Speaker of the House will be held Sunday after the House proceedings begin at 11 am, an official said.

    Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi is the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine for the Speaker’s election. He is pitted against first-time BJP legislator Rahul Narvekar.

    ALSO READ: BJP made Eknath Shinde Maharashtra CM to wrest Mumbai from Shiv Sena, claims Raut

    Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who support Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening on the eve of the Assembly session, and were lodged in a luxury hotel in south Mumbai, where Vidhan Bhavan, venue of the floor test, is located.

    NCP chief Sharad Pawar claimed that Narhari Zirwal, the deputy Speaker, can perform officiating Speaker’s duties even though a no-confidence motion is pending against him. The post of Speaker is vacant since February last year after Nana Patole of Congress quit.

    As many as 50 MLAs who support Shinde, including 39 rebel legislators of the Shiv Sena, on Saturday evening flew to Mumbai from Goa by a chartered flight.

    ALSO READ: MVA fields Sena’s Rajan Salvi for Assembly Speaker post against BJP’s Rahul Narvekar

    Shinde, who had flown to Goa in the morning, accompanied them back. Shinde has the support of 10 legislators of smaller parties and independents and 106 MLAs of the BJP in the 288-member House.

    Following is the party position in the Assembly: Shiv Sena 55, NCP 53, Congress 44, BJP 106, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi 3, Samajwadi Party 2, AIMIM 2, Prahar Janshakti Party 2, MNS 1, CPI (M) 1, PWP 1, Swambhimani Paksha 1, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha 1, Jansurajya Shakti Party 1, Krantikari Shetkari Party 1, and Independents 13.

    There is a vacancy due to the death of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke last month. Two NCP members – Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal – have tested COVID-19 positive, while two other party legislators – Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik – are currently in jail.

    ALSO READ: Eknath Shinde, rebel Maharashtra MLAs paid Guwahati hotel bills before leaving

  • Maharashtra: MVA fields Sena’s Rajan Salvi for Assembly Speaker post against BJP’s Rahul Narvekar

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi on Saturday filed his nomination as the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) candidate for the post of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker, election for which will be held on July 3.

    On Friday, first-time BJP legislator Rahul Narvekar had filed his nomination for the post. While Narvekar represents Colaba Assembly constituency in Mumbai, Salvi is the MLA from Rajapur segment in Ratnagiri district.

    A special two-day Assembly session has been convened on July 3 and 4. While election for the speaker’s post will be held on Sunday, the newly sworn-in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in whose cabinet BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is the deputy CM, will face the floor test the next day.

    The MVA alliance consists of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. The government of these three parties collapsed on Wednesday following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who took oath as CM the next day.

    Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said Salvi is the opposition’s candidate for the election to the speaker’s post.

    Jayant Patil, Dhananjay Munde (NCP), Ashok Chavan (Congress), Sunil Prabhu (Shiv Sena) were prominent among those who were present with Salvi when he filed his papers here.

    The deadline for filing of the nomination papers was 12 noon on Saturday. The post of assembly speaker has been lying vacant since Nana Patole of Congress resigned in February last year to become the party’s state unit president.

  • My fight is for rescuing Shiv Sena from clutches of ‘python of MVA’: Rebel minister Eknath Shinde

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on late Saturday evening said Shiv Sena workers should understand that he was fighting to save the party from the clutches of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

    Shinde’s appeal came after Sena workers loyal to party president and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray staged protests against the rebel MLAs led by him by defacing their banners, hurling stones in some places and vandalising the office of an MLA in Pune.

    प्रिय शिवसैनिकांनो,नीट समजून घ्या, म.वि.आ. चा खेळ ओळखा..! MVA च्या अजगराच्या विळख्यातून शिवसेना व शिवसैनिकांना सोडवण्यासाठीच मी लढत आहे. हा लढा तुम्हा शिवसैनिकांच्या हिता करीता समर्पित…. आपला एकनाथ संभाजी शिंदे.#MiShivsainik
    — Eknath Shinde – एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 25, 2022
    In a tweet in Marathi, Shinde, who is camping in Guwahati with his group of MLAs, said, “My dear Shiv Sena workers, try to understand the machinations of the MVA. I am fighting for rescuing the Shiv Sena and Sena workers from the clutches of the python of the MVA. I dedicate this fight to the interest of Shiv Sena workers.”

    CLICK HERE FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF MAHARASHTRA CRISIS

    Shinde and his supporters have said earlier that they want the Sena to pull out of the “unnatural” Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with the Congress and NCP, and revive the alliance with BJP.

  • ‘Political vendetta’: Uddhav government removed security cover of 16 rebel MLAs, says Shinde

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Saturday alleged that the Maharashtra government has withdrawn the security cover provided at the residences of 16 rebel legislators, including himself, and dubbed the action as “political vendetta”.

    Shinde, who is currently camping in Guwahati with the rebel legislators, tweeted a letter signed by the 16 MLAs that is addressed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil.

    In the letter, the legislators said CM Thackeray and the leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance will be responsible if any harm is caused to their family members.

    In his tweet, Shinde alleged that the security cover of the 16 rebel Sena legislators was withdrawn on the orders of Thackeray and Walse Patil due to “political vendetta”.

    FOLLOW LIVE COVERAGE OF MAHARASHTRA TURMOIL HERE

    “The government is responsible for the security of these legislators,” he added. In the letter, the legislators demanded that their security cover be reinstated.

    “If our family members are harmed, then the chief minister, leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government like Sharad Pawar, Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray will be responsible,” the letter said.

    The security cover, which is provided at their residence as well as to their family members as per the protocol, has been withdrawn illegally and unlawfully as an act of revenge, it said.

    ALSO READ: Who is footing hotel bills in Guwahati, Surat, asks NCP; says IT dept, ED should find source of ‘black money’

    The MVA government has been facing a crisis of survival after a majority of Sena MLAs shifted their loyalty to Shinde and are camping in Guwahati.

  • Shinde pressured to rebel against Sena, says Sanjay Raut; alleges police attack on two MLAs in Surat

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: In a veiled attack on BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday claimed Sanjay Raut was pressured to go against the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and also alleged that at least two MLAs accompanying the minister in Surat were beaten up by the police and goons under ‘Operation Kamal’ (lotus).

    Speaking on the political turmoil in view of Shinde going incommunicado and camping in Surat with some MLAs of Sena, Raut hinted at pressure from Central agencies and said he was aware of the “compulsions” of Shinde that might have prompted him to rebel against the party.

    Raut also claimed that some of the MLAs were misled and “kidnapped” to Gujarat.

    “Two of the MLAs (with Shinde), including Nitin Deshmukh, were beaten up last night. Deshmukh tried to run away but he was beaten up by the police and goondas under ‘Operation Kamal’ and suffered a heart attack. Some of the MLAs have told us that they were misled and taken to Gujarat,” he claimed.

    Raut alleged that MLAs of Sena had received at least four to five calls from their colleagues who told them over the phone that they were misled and requested their rescue.

    “At least four to five calls have been received by some MLAs of Sena. The caller MLAs said that they were being misled and kidnapped. They said that they were called for dinner in Thane (on Monday) and then taken away. Their family members have lodged police complaints about their husbands and fathers going missing,” Raut said.

    READ HERE: Maharashtra turmoil LIVE | MVA leaders huddle at CM Uddhav’s residence

    Raut said he too had received notices from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) but never buckled under pressure. “But I will never quit Shiv Sena which is like my mother. I am aware of Shinde’s compulsions,” he added.

    He claimed that 14 to 15 MLAs of the Sena are accompanying Shinde, while at least 30 MLAs attended the meeting with CM Thackeray in Mumbai on Tuesday. The Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs in the House.

    Raut also justified the removal of Shinde as the group leader of the Sena in the Legislative Assembly, saying disciplinary action was required. Earlier in the day, Raut had said that communication has been established with Shinde “who is not in Mumbai”.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat BJP’s CR Patil in touch with Eknath Shinde for long time: Sources

  • Surat hotel housing Eknath Shinde, rebel Shiv Sena MLAs turns into fortress

    By PTI

    SURAT: As Maharashtra’s ruling coalition battles for survival in Mumbai, some 280km away in Surat in BJP-ruled Gujarat, luxury hotel Le Meridien has become the focus of all attention as it is currently hosting dissident Shiv Sena Minister Eknath Shinde and some rebel party MLAs, and the property has been turned into a virtual fortress with nearly 400 policemen guarding it since early Tuesday morning.

    While guests who had arrived earlier are leaving one by one, sources revealed that the hotel, situated on Dumas Road of the diamond city, has stopped accepting new bookings for an indefinite period.

    Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Jalgaon in North Maharashtra Sanjay Kute arrived at the hotel in his car in the afternoon and he was subsequently allowed to go inside to meet the Shiv Sena leaders camping there.

    LIVE | Shiv Sena sacks Eknath Shinde as party whip; Minister invokes Bal Thackeray

    After the arrival of Shinde, a key Sena leader, and other Sena MLAs from Maharashtra on Monday night, 300 to 400 policemen took positions inside and outside the hotel premises and put barricades on both entry and exit points to prevent any “unauthorised” person from entering the property from the main road.

    Apart from the outer campus of the hotel, policemen are also deployed inside the hotel, especially on the floor where these ‘rebel leaders’ are staying. Since morning, DCP-level officers were seen visiting the premises at regular intervals and giving necessary instructions to on-duty police personnel.

    While no outsider or visitor is permitted to enter the hotel premises, staffers are allowed inside only after checking their IDs and taking permission from authorities concerned.

    A large group of journalists and camera persons are camping outside the hotel to gather news on the dramatic political developments connected to Maharashtra, where the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ruling coalition is battling its worst crisis since coming to power in November 2019.

    Scene outside hotel Le Meridian in Surat where disgruntled Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde & his loyalists Sena MLAs are camped. One of the Sena MLA suffered heart issue & he has been shifted to nearby hospital in Surat only. @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/JZ5Ya7GTps
    — Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) June 21, 2022
    Maharashtra minister and some MLAs reached the hotel on late June 20 night, hours after Legislative Council polls which saw the BJP winning a fifth seat despite not having enough numbers in the Assembly, possibly due to suspected cross-voting from the ruling bloc besides support from Independent MLAs and those from smaller parties.

    After the Council poll results, Shinde went incommunicado and later it came to light he is camping in the hotel along with some party MLAs.

    The opposition BJP on Monday won all five seats it contested in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections for 10 seats, while Congress candidate and Dalit leader Chandrakant Handore lost, in another setback for the MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, after the Rajya Sabha polls earlier this month.

    Two candidates each of the Shiv Sena and NCP won, while the Congress managed to bag just one seat.

    Ten Council seats were up for grabs and 11 candidates were in the fray for the elections, which came days after the Rajya Sabha polls, which saw the BJP handing an embarrassing defeat to the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition by winning an additional seat despite lacking in numbers.