The NCP, the Congress and the Shiv Sena put up a show of strength before the media at a Mumbai hotel by parading 162 MLAs in the presence of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray. In a grand hall decorated with the Preamble of the Indian Constitution and boards stating ‘We are 162’, MLAs vouched allegiance to the new alliance.

NCP President Sharad Pawar, addressing the meeting, said that political parties and the people of Maharashtra will teach the BJP a lesson if it tries repeat its experiment in other States of imposing minority government in Maharashtra.

“Maharashtra is not Goa (where the BJP formed the government, engineering split in other parties). We will teach a lesson and now Shiv Sena is with us,” said Pawar. He added that Ajit Pawar who rebelled against the party has no right to issue a whip as the leader of the party in the State legislature and BJP was trying to misled the NCP members.” I personally take responsibility (that the membership of the State assembly of NCP MLAs will remain intact),” said Pawar.

Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray dared BJP to try to split NCP-Sena-Congress. “We will show you, what we can do,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Congress jointly submitted a letter signed by 162 MLAs to the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, staking claim to form the government. The majority mark in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly is 145.

After submitting the letter to the Governor, leaders of three parties told media that they fear the Governor would dissolve the Assembly if Devendra Fadnavis fails to prove his majority and have emphasised to Koshyari that they have the numbers to form the government.

NCP State wing President Jayant Patil told that out 54 party MLAs, 51 have signed the letter and two other MLAs would join the signatories.

He also said that he will meet with rebel party leader Ajit Pawar to convince him to return to the party fold.

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