Maharashtra Floor Test Live Updates: Autorickshaw outpaced Mercedes car, Shinde takes a dig at Uddhav

Shiv Sena president and former CM Uddhav Thackeray on Monday alleged it was the BJP's ploy to finish his party, and challenged it to hold mid-term elections in the state. "This is BJP's ploy to end the Shiv Sena, I dare them to hold mid-term polls in the state. Instead of playing all these games, we will go to the court of people. If we are wrong, people of the state will send us home and if you (BJP and Shinde group) are wrong, people will send you home," the statement said quoting Thackeray.He also asked experts to express their views on whether political developments in the state were in accordance with the Constitution or whether constitutional norms were violated.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar was on Monday named the leader of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly.He succeeds BJP's Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Deputy CM on June 30.Speaker Rahul Narvekar announced that Pawar will take over as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, adding NCP has emerged as the single largest opposition party in the 288-member House.Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described Ajit Pawar as a mature politician and administrator.

"I thank Devendra Fadnavis ji for giving me a chance to work as a minister in the previous government... I could work on Samruddhi Mahamarg project. He was to give the Deputy CM post to Shiv Sena also in 2019," said Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.

"Initially, I was supposed to be made the CM in the MVA govt... But later Ajit Dada (Ajit Pawar) or someone said that I should not be made the CM. I had no problem and I told Uddhav ji to go ahead, and that I was with him. I never eyed that post," Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said on Monday.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday slammed the rebel MLAs who left the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction and joined the Eknath Shinde faction saying "money is not everything in politics and public life."