Sena-NCP-Congress move Supreme Court

New Delhi/Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Saturday approached the Supreme Court against the "arbitrary and mala fide actions/decisions" of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister.

The writ petition in the apex court against the governor was filed at 8.23 pm on Saturday. The Supreme Court registry informed the Sena lawyers that the petition has been formally filed.

Meanwhile, the NCP removed Ajit Pawar as its Legislature Party leader after he joined hands with the BJP to form the government and took oath as the Deputy CM.

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

According to reports, 50 of the 54 MLAs attended a meet called by Sharad Pawar at party headquarters, indicating that the party chief was right.

"We are absolutely certain that the BJP-led government which is sworn in does not have the numbers to pass a floor test. We completely back Shiv Sena and want a government under Uddhav Thackeray," said NCP chief Sharad Pawar, in a joint press briefing with Uddhav Thackeray.

The Congress, which had been in talks with the Sena and NCP to form government in Maharashtra, said the BJP has "betrayed" the people of Maharashtra.

The BJP, meanwhile, claimed that it had the "electoral and moral" mandate to form a government in Maharashtra and brushed aside the criticism of its alliance with Ajit Pawar, who was accused by the party in the past of corruption, saying the tie-up was guided by the "given situation".