Eknath Shinde trust vote today after Speaker's move against team Uddhav | Top 10

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde will face the crucial numbers’ test on Monday - the Day 2 of the special assembly session. On Sunday, the BJP’s Rahul Narwekar - a first time MLA - was elected as the new Speaker of the assembly in another boost for the new coalition government. Followed by a spell of internal revolt in Shiv Sena, which led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray government, Maharashtra will next see distribution of portfolios as Shinde and his deputy, Devendra Fadnavis, divide duties.

Here are 10 points on the new Maharashtra government and assembly session:

1. Hours after election, assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Sunday removed Shiv Sena MLA Ajay Chaudhary as the legislative party leader, reinstating Shinde, news agency PTI reported. Bharat Gogawale from the Shinde camp was acknowledged as the chief whip of the Sena, and Sunil Prabhu - from Uddhav Thackeray’s faction - was removed.

2. Trouble is still brewing for Shiv Sena even after the fall of the government. On Sunday, claims were made by both sides - Uddhav Thackeray’s team and Shinde’s faction - that they had locked up the legislative party office in the Vidhan Bhavan.

3. “Some reports are claiming that the keys of the Shiv Sena legislative party office are with Eknath Shinde. These reports are false. We will open the office tomorrow,” Shiv Sena chief spokesperson and MP Arvind Sawant was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

4. Meanwhile, Shidne and Devendra Fadnavis held another meeting on Sunday night before the trust vote. This was the second straight evening that lawmakers of the ruling coalition met after the return of rebel lawmakers from Goa.

5. Monday’s trust vote doesn’t seem to be a big challenge for the new combine with Shinde having support of over 50 MLAs and 106 MLAs with the BJP in the 288-member house.

6. In his first address in the assembly session, Shinde said that no MLA was forced to switch sides in an attack on Uddhav Thackeray.

7. Meanwhile, a move to reverse the former MVA government’s decision on Aarey forest, often called as Mumbai’s green lung, has prompted backlash from environmentalists.

8. “This is about sustainable development and better planning. This is about Mumbai’s development and we staying here instead of being handed over a badly planned project that destroys our Mumbai’s Aarey Forest.” former minster Aaditya Thackeray said in an appeal to the government.

9. Meanwhile, Rahul Narwekar’s election as speaker has sparked buzz. In the past, he had links to the NCP and the Congress.

10. The absence of five NCP legislators in the speaker election triggered speculation of internal rift.

(With inputs from PTI)