After SC orders floor test, all eyes on future of BJP-NCP govt

News Bharati    26-Nov-2019
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New Delhi, Nov 26: When the country was observing the Constitution Day the Supreme Court order on holding the floor test in Maharashtra by five pm tomorrow (Wednesday) has shifted the focus of the nation from Delhi to Mumbai.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had invited BJP’s legislative party leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and NCP’s legislative party leader Ajit Pawar and after betting satisfied about their claim of majority administered them the oath of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively in the morning of November 23.

This decision of the Governor came under heavy criticism from Shiv Sena-Congress and NCP’s Sharad Pawar faction. These parties moved the Supreme Court on the same day. The SC heard the case for two days and gave its ruling today.

 

Giving its ruling the three – judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana and comprising of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Ashok Bhushan said that that the floor test to prove majority of BJP-NCP government in Maharashtra should be conducted before five pm on Wednesday. The SC also said that the floor test will be conducted through an open ballot and the proceeding will be recorded on video.

Taking a note of the fact that even after the passage of one month no elected member of the state Vidhan Sabha was administered oath, the Supreme Court also directed the Governor to appoint the pro tem speaker to administer oath to the newly elected MLAs before conducting the floor test for majority. This entire process should be conducted by 5 pm on Wednesday, the apex court directed.

Meanwhile, the newly elected members of the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP were huddled in a hotel in Mumbai and administered ‘oath of allegiance’. The leaders of the three parties claimed that they had support of 162 MLAs and can easily oust the ‘stealthily sworn-in’ chief minister and deputy chief minister in a show of strength.

 

Deciding to align with the BJP, Ajit Pawar, nephew of NCP stalwart Sharad Pawar had caused a vertical split in the party and family too. Efforts were on to reconcile with him but he had not budged from his position. Since he is the officially elected leader of NCP legislature party, his whip will have to be followed by the MLAs lest they lose their membership of the house.

On the other hand, the Congress has not yet elected its leader of legislature party. The letter given to the Governor by the three party combine bears the signature of Congress Maharashtra President Balasaheb Thorat which may not stand the legal scrutiny. In such a case the floor test has become most interesting event to be watched.

 

Political observers are suggesting and discussing a number of possibilities that could decide the direction of the political course in the state considered to be engine of development of the country.

However, at present the million dollar question is ‘Will Fadnavis-Pawar combine survive the floor test?