Ahead of floor test, Fadnavis to hold meeting with BJP MLAs
Mumbai, Nov 26: With the Supreme Court ordering floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday, all newly elected BJP MLAs in the state have been asked to reach Mumbai to attend a meeting to be addressed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here on Tuesday evening, a party leader said.
Along with its own 105 MLAs, the BJP has the support of "14 other legislators" from various smaller parties and Independents, the leader claimed.
The BJP also has the support of NCP's Ajit Pawar to meet its requirement of minimum 145 MLAs to prove majority in the 288-member House, he said, without elaborating.
The BJP earlier withdrew its claim to form government but in a dramatic turn of events, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister and NCP's Ajit Pawar as his deputy by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at a hush hush ceremony in Raj Bhavan early Saturday morning.
The BJP was propped up by Ajit Pawar who revolted against the NCP headed by his uncle Sharad Pawar.
Later, the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine moved the Supreme Court against the governor's decision to swear in Fadnavis as chief minister.
The apex court on Tuesday directed that a floor test for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prove his majority in the state Assembly be conducted on Wednesday.
"Chief Minister Fadnavis and state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil will address a meeting of all party legislators on Tuesday evening. Hence, all the newly-elected BJP MLAs in the state have been asked to reach Mumbai to attend it," the BJP leader said.
"The BJP has 105 seats along with the support from some 14 Independent MLAs and legislators of smaller parties, taking the tally to 119," he said, adding that the party also has the support of NCP leader Ajit Pawar to fulfil the requirement of minimum 145 MLAs to prove majority.
The BJP and Shiv Sena, which fought the last month's Assembly polls in an alliance, secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively.
The Sena, however, broke its three-decade-long ties with the BJP after the latter declined to share the chief minister's post.
The NCP and Congress won 54 and 44 seats respectively.
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Akash Singh says signature celebration fuels motivation, reinforces dominance
Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.
The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.
"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.
"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.
Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.
"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.
"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.
Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.
"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.
On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.
"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.
Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.
"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.
Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..
"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.
