Maharashtra Assembly Session: As it happened

Maharashtra CM Shinde becomes emotional mentioning his departed children

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde became emotional as he spoke of his departed children during his speech in Maharashtra assembly

"They attacked my family...My father is alive, my mother died. I could not give much time to my parents. They would be asleep when I came and would go to work when I slept. I could not give much time to my son Shrikant. My two children died - at the time, Anand Dighe consoled me. I used to think, what is there to live for? I will stay with my family," the Chief Minister said.

With 164 MLAs, the newly constituted Maharashtra government under Eknath Shinde passed today's floor test in the state Assembly. This follows Sunday's significant victory in which Rahul Narvekar of the BJP was chosen as Speaker. The State Legislative Assembly's two-day special session comes after a high-stakes political drama that saw a rebel faction led by Shinde overthrow the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration and take power in coalition with the BJP.

The Eknath Shinde-led government has reached a majority of 144 in the Maharashtra Assembly, though the head count is still ongoing.

Raj Thackeray, the leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, sent congratulations to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on his appointment as the state's deputy chief minister and praised him for accepting the junior position in the cabinet despite having served as chief minister twice before.

Fadnavis first asserted that he was not a member of the new administration and said that he would continue to assist it from outside. However, he agreed to serve as a deputy in the cabinet on the orders of the party high command.

Devendra Fadnavis was not "demotioned," according to Thackeray, who claimed that it was done to accomplish a target.

Shiv Sena Chief Whip Bharat Gogawale (Eknath Shinde faction) has petitioned the Assembly Speaker to suspend 16 party MLAs for breaking the whip. The Speaker's office confirms that notice of suspension would be given to the 16 MLAs.