Ex-Maharashtra Governor says ’if resignation reaches my desk..’ to SC’s ‘erred in judgement’ verdict

The Maharashtra political debacle of Shiv Sena (s) and their petition in Supreme Court of India received a verdict on Thursday. The verdict delivered by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud ruled that the former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was "not justified" to call for a floor test based on the request of Eknath Shinde faction since he did not have enough objective material before him to conclude that the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House

The apex court ruled that Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was "illegal".

The Supreme Court, however, refused to order status quo ante, citing the fact that then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray did not face the floor test and resigned.

Former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday, addressed some media queries and said, “I have been relived of the Governor of Maharashtra post three month ago. I keep myself away from controversial matters. The case that was being going on in Supreme Court, on that matter the apex court has given its verdict. Because I am not a student of law, I only posses parliamentarian knowledge, based on that I did what I felt was right at that time”

“If someone's resignation reached my desk, what should I had done? Asked them don't quit?” the former governor asked. 

The SC had stated that former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari did not have reasons based on objective material before him to arrive at the conclusion that then chief minister Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.

It added that the governor ought to apply his mind to the communication (or any other material) before him to assess whether a government has lost the confidence of the House.

"The resolution on which the governor relied did not contain any indication that the MLAs wished to exit from the MVA government. The communication expressing discontent on the part of some MLAs is not sufficient for the governor to call for a floor test." the bench, also comprising Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said. 

"The Governor was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him, to reach the conclusion that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House. However, the status quo ante cannot be restored because Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. The Governor was justified in inviting Mr Shinde to form the government," the bench said in its 141-page verdict.

After the SC verdict, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday met Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree in Mumbai.