Maharashtra Government Formation News: On Monday, the Supreme Court of India witnessed an 80 minute hearing on Government Formation plea filed by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (Alliance of Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena), and said it will declare the judgement today. On Saturday morning, BJP along with support from NCP leader Ajit Pawar and some independent MLAs formed the government in Maharashtra wherein Devendra Fadnavis took oath for the Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Following the government formation in the state of Maharashtra, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, alliance of Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena filed a petition asking to test the validity of BJP’s majority. The alliance submitted documents which had signatures of 154 MLAs in the court, saying BJP cannot have the strength of MLAs to form a government.
During the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP and Shiv Sena fought together as a group but had to part ways over a conflict of 50-50 sharing of the CM position. As the parties hit a deadlock, Shiv Sena joined hands with NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) and the Congress party to form the government in the state. However, on Saturday morning, Bhagat Koshyari, Maharashtra Governor, swore-in Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and even more surprisingly, Ajit Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi knocked on Supreme Court’s doors challenging with a petition which claims that the Governor was ‘duty bound’ to validate the claims made by Fadnavis before letting BJP form a government in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena along with the other two parties exclaimed that as they had already voiced their intentions of forming a government, Governor should have crosschecked BJP’s claims.
Last night, MLAs of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi gathered at a 5 star hotel in Mumbai’s suburbs for the show of strength. The MLAs also took an ‘oath of allegiance’. The MLAs pledged ‘I will not fall prey to any offer. I will not help the BJP in anyway. I will not indulge in any anti-party activities’.
Today morning, the Apex Court ruled that the government will have to validate their strength and majority. The floor test shall be conducted before 5:00 PM tomorrow, and no secret ballot shall be used. Additionally, the whole proceedings must be telecasted live. After the Supreme Court passed the judgement, Sharad Pawar took it to his twitter to express how grateful he was of the Apex Court.
I am grateful to Hon’ble SC for upholding democratic values and constitutional principles. It’s heartening that the Maharashtra Verdict came on the #ConstitutionDay, a Tribute to Bharatratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar!
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) November 26, 2019
Also, after the Supreme Court’s judgement, Chandrakant Patil, Chief BJP Maharashtra said ‘We respect the court order. We are ready to prove the majority and we will show it’. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan also took it to Twitter to express SC’s decision on transparency by ordering the floor test to be live telecasted
Kudos to the SC for ordering a televised & open floor test in Maharashtra by tomorrow, which the BJP was delaying in order to buy MLAs. A good gift to the nation by the SC on #ConstitutionDay when the govt was hell bent to make a mockery of the Constitution
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) November 26, 2019
