Mumbai: The newly-elected head of the Democratic Front (DF) coalition and Chief Minister-designate Sushil Kumar Shinde on January 17 met Maharashtra Governor Mohammed Fazal and staked claim for formation of the new government.

Shinde submitted a list of supporters, with signatures of 148 MLAs.

The list excluded five PWP MLAs who have decided to remain neutral and two CPM MLAs, who have agreed to only support the DF government from outside.

Fazal has given 15 days time to Shinde to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

Shinde, who succeeds Vilasrao Deshmukh, will be sworn-in as Chief Minister on January 18 at 4 pm.

He was elected as head of the DF coalition at a meeting of DF legislators at Vidhan Bhavan this morning.

The 289-member Maharashtra Assembly has 74 Congress MLAs, 56-NCP, 69-Sena and 12 independents. There are five PWP members, one-JD (S), two-CPM, three-BBM (B), one-RPI (Gavai) and three members of other smaller parties besides one nominated member in the state Assembly.

Six of the members of the House had been suspended by the Assembly speaker minutes before the June 13 crucial vote of confidence against the Deshmukh ministry for switching loyalties.

PTI