Governor asks Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority, Shiv Sena questions move

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has asked the Uddhav Thackeray government in the state to prove his majority on the floor of the House on 30 June citing that the “present political scenario” unfolding in the state paints a “very disturbing picture.”

The governor has written to the state Assembly secretary to convene a special session of the State Assembly on Thursday with the only agenda of a trust vote against CM Thackeray.

According to the notification, the session will commence at 11:00am which will also be telecast live.

Notably, this comes after Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the governor on Tuesday night after returning from Delhi, and submitted a letter to him demanding an immediate floor test.

“The present political scenario unfolding in the State of Maharashtra paints a very disturbing picture. There has been extensive coverage in the electronic and print media that 39 MLAs of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party have expressed their sincere desire and decision to exit the Maha Vikas Aghadi government,” said the notification by the governor.

“The Leader of Opposition, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly personally visited me at Raj Bhavan on 28 June, 2022. I was briefed about the political situation in the State and thereafter the Leader of Opposition submitted a letter stating that chief minister has lost the majority in Vidhan Sabha. The letter submitted by the Leader of Opposition has further requested for a floor test to be conducted at the earliest so as to avoid any political bargaining by undemocratic means in the State of Maharashtra,”it added.

According to the sources, a few independent MLAs had also sent an email to the registered email address of the Maharashtra Governor demanding an immediate floor test.

“In this backdrop, an email dated 28 June, 2022, was received by Raj Bhavan, Mumbai by 7 independent MLAs. The said letter states that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra has lost the confidence of the majority on the floor of the House thereby, making it imperative to conduct a floor test at the earliest,” the notification stated.

“As the constitutional head of the State. I must ensure that the Government functions with the support and confidence of the House. Thus, I have issued a communication to the Chief Minister calling upon to prove his majority on the Floor of the House on 30 June, 2022,” it further stated.

Earlier this morning Eknath Shinde, visited the famed Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, where he is camping in a hotel along with other rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. Shinde said that he is ready for the floor test and will return to Mumbai on Thursday.

“I will return to Mumbai tomorrow. I prayed for the welfare of the people of Maharashtra here at the temple,” Shinde said after visiting the temple in Guawahati.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday said holding of the floor test amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court proceedings as the apex court is hearing the relating to the disqualification of 16 MLAs of the breakway camp of the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.

“How can a floor test be asked for when the disqualification of 16 MLA has deferred by the Supreme Court till 11th July? How can these MLAs participate in the floor test till their disqualification status not decided and the other matters for which notice sent is subjudice?” she tweeted.

“This would be contempt of court proceedings if floor test conducted despite the matter not getting final hearing in the SC,” Chaturvedi added in her tweet.

In a jolt to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, senior Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde and other rebel MLAs revolted against the party on 20 June and camped in Gujarat’s Surat. Later, the rebel MLAs shifted base to a hotel in Guwahati.

On Monday, a separate plea was filed by Shinde in Supreme Court court regarding the safety of the legislators who have challenged party chief and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala heard the pleas on Monday.

“This is the win of the Hindutva of Balasaheb Thackeray and the ideas of Anand Dighe,” Eknath Shinde tweeted after the Supreme Court deferred the disqualification proceedings of rebel MLAs till 11 July.