Shiv Sena-led alliance set to take power in Maharashtra

Resmi Sivaram

The Supreme Court on Tuesday forced out Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, who became chief minister in a highly-contested flash ceremony on Saturday for “80 hours.” Faced with court orders to prove his majority support in a floor test before 5pm on Wednesday in the state legislature, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader announced his resignation to the media in Mumbai by 3.30pm.

Fadnavis deputy Ajit Pawar resigned a couple of hours before, soon after the court pronounced its verdict considering the petitions submitted by the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combination which is now set to take power in Maharashtra. The three-party alliance, which had announced Sena chief Udhav Thackeray as chief minister, may be invited soon to form a government. NCP leader Jayant Patil and Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress are likely to become the deputy chief ministers.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called a special assembly session at 8am for the oath-taking of newly elected MLAs.

The apex court bench of Justices NV Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna had ordered Fadnavis to prove his majority “within 24 hours” or by tomorrow on the floor of the House. The voting should be telecast live, the court said, and insisted that it cannot be a secret ballot.

It has to be presided over by a pro-tem Speaker, who by tradition is the seniormost member.

Fadnavis, whose BJP had only 105 seats, fully realised he cannot gather another 40 plus for majority. “BJP had decided from the first day we will not indulge in horse-trading. We only decided to form government because NCP was with us. Since he has resigned, we don’t have the numbers. So I have also decided to resign,” he told the media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had met after the Supreme Court verdict. BJP sources said they asked Fadnavis to quit rather than face the shame of defeat, which will be telecast live.

The apex court had stated that, “In a situation wherein, if the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse-trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act to protect democratic values. An immediate floor test, in such a case, might be the most effective mechanism to do so.” The verdict drew wild cheers for its dedication to democratic values at a time when the country had been feeling a steady erosion.

“To curtail unlawful practices such as horse-trading, to avoid uncertainty and to effectuate smooth running of democracy by ensuring a stable government, we are of the considered opinion that it is necessary to pass certain interim directions in this case,” said the three-judge bench.