New Delhi: The BJP won another day’s reprieve in Maharashtra as the Supreme Court said it would declare its decision tomorrow on a petition challenging the surprise Government formation by Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday morning. The Top Court will deliver its verdict at 10.30 am tomorrow.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited Fadnavis to form Government based on a letter showing the support of 170 MLAs, including 54 of the NCP (Ajit Pawar), the Centre told the Supreme Court this morning.
Rivals Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress submitted documents claiming the support of 154 MLAs and called for an “immediate” test of strength in the Maharashtra Assembly. The Court did not pass any orders today.
The Supreme Court heard a petition of the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP challenging the manner in which Fadnavis was sworn-in along with NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his deputy at 7.50 am on Saturday after President’s Rule was revoked at 5.47 am with Prime Minister Narendra Modi using a special rule to approve it without a Cabinet meet.
The BJP, which has 105 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, needs 40 more to reach the majority-mark of 145. “We have 170 MLAs. The Governor saw the support of 170 MLAs. It is not a forged letter. The (BJP) was called and it took oath,” said former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, representing Fadnavis and the BJP. The Solicitor General said Ajit Pawar had submitted letters of support from all 54 NCP MLAs.
“Ajit Pawar submitted letter on Nov. 22 with signatures of 54 MLAs,” Mukul Rohatgi said, asserting that it was after this letter that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited Devendra Fadnavis to form the Government. “The letter says earlier I had expressed inability to form Government. For a stable Government we have decided to support Devendra Fadnavis and we will serve Maharashtra,” said the top lawyer. The Governor, he said, couldn’t go for any roving inquiry and he had no reason to doubt the letter.
Kapil Sibal, representing the rival alliance, called the BJP Government formation “fraud of democracy” and called for an immediate floor test. “What’s the national emergency to revoke President Rule? Why did these things happen between 7 pm and 5.47 am? Can’t Governor wait for 24 hours,” he questioned. His colleague Abhishek Manu Singhvi urged the Court to call an immediate floor test with an interim Speaker to preside over it.
This post was published on November 25, 2019 6:43 pm