New Delhi:
NCP leader Nawab Malik said his party president Sharad Pawar has already announced that Uddhav Thackeray will be the chief minister of Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena chief has agreed to it. He said the Sena-NCP-Congress combine will continue their alliance for the next 20-25 years.
"Uddhav Thackeray will be the next chief minister, (NCP supremo Sharad) Pawar has already said. Uddhav-ji has also consented to be the chief minister," Malik said.
“Our alliance will last for a long time. This is the start of BJP’s end. The BJP has become very arrogant,” Mallik said, adding that Devendra Fadnavis' resignation as Maharashtra chief minister is a victory of the people of the state.
Taking a dig at BJP president Amit Shah, Mallik said Sharad Pawar is 'Chanakya' of Maharashtra who defeated other Chanakyas.
Leaders of Sena, NCP and Congress will hold a meeting shortly and then meet Governor BK Koshyari, said NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik in Mumbai.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis tendered his resignation for want of numbers after his deputy, NCP's Ajit Pawar, stepped down citing "person reasons".
"This is victory of the people...the people of Maharashtra have deflated the arrogance of BJP leaders," Malik told reporters ahead of a meeting of leaders of the NCP, Sena and Congress.
The leaders of the three parties will meet Governor Koshyari after their meeting, he said.
