BackSena-Congress-NCP parades 162 MLAs to prove majority
Protests by Congress rock Parliament, SC to deliver order on holding floor test todayA letter submitted by Ajit Pawar to the SC contained signatures of all the 54 NCP MLAs
PremiumNEW DELHI : Moving swiftly between Parliament, Supreme Court and a 5-star hotel in Mumbai, the political drama over government formation in Maharashtra heated up on Monday with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and rival claimant Uddhav Thackeray both furnishing what they said was evidence of their majority support in the state assembly.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Fadnavis told the Supreme Court he had the support of 170 legislators in the 288-member state assembly. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, paraded what he claimed were 162 legislators for a photo-op in a luxury hotel in Mumbai in support of the non-BJP alliance, the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The political deadlock between the BJP and its rivals took centre stage in Delhi, rocking both Houses of Parliament, leading to their adjournment for the day.
With the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress combine continuing to press for a floor test, the Supreme Court said it will take a decision on the matter on Tuesday.
Fadnavis, controversially sworn in as chief minister on Saturday, submitted a letter to the apex court saying he and Ajit Pawar have the support of 170 MLAs. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, speaking on behalf of Fadnavis, argued against the court ruling on the matter of a floor test. He said the governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has given the Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar duo 14 days to prove their majority in a floor test and that the top court cannot issue an order giving directions to the governor.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted a letter dated 22 November given by Ajit Pawar to a three-judge bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana. The letter contained 54 signatures —that’s the total number of MLAs the NCP has —and the letterhead described him as head of the NCP legislative party.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the NCP and Congress, claimed that 48 NCP MLAs, 56 Sena MLAs, and 44 Congress MLAs —a total of 148, or three more than the majority mark —have given sworn affidavits supporting Uddhav Thackeray.
On Monday, both Houses of Parliament faced repeated adjournments over protests by the Congress led by party president Sonia Gandhi. Both the Houses were finally adjourned for the day and will reconvene on Tuesday after a joint sitting to mark 70 years of the adoption of the Constitution.
*Press Trust of India contributed to this story.
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