A day after Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation met and claimed that the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has lost the majority in State Assembly, State Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on June 29 (morning) directed Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove the government’s majority on June 30, Thursday.
Directing the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly to convene a special one day session by exercising his of his power under Article 174 and 175(2), Mr. Koshyari in his letter stated that ‘floor test for proving the majority of the Chief Minister is imperative to ensure that the government continues to function with the confidence of the house.’
Ruling Shiv Sena, which is faced with a rebellion against its Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray by party’s second in command Eknath Shinde and 38 other MLAs has approached the Supreme Court demanding stay on the Governor’s Order of convening a session at a time when proceeding of disqualification against 16 rebel MLAs is pending.
Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal had issued notices to 16 MLAs against which they had approached the apex court. The court giving urgent hearing to them extended the time given to reply to them from two days till July 12. “How can the Governor ask the government to prove its majority when disqualification proceedings are pending?” asked Sena Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant also questioning the urgency at which Mr. Koshyari issued the Orders. The Petition by Sena will be heard by the court at 5 p.m.
Meanwhile, the letter from Mr. Koshyari stated that apart from news reports in print and electronic media regarding 39 MLAs withdrawing support from the MVA government, an email dated June 28 from seven independent MLAs has also been received by Raj Bhavan which stated that the CM has lost the confidence of the majority on the floor of the house.
He also mentioned that the Leader of Opposition visited him on the same date and briefed him about the present political situation in the State submitting a letter stating the CM has lost the majority and requesting for a floor test at the earliest so as to avoid any political bargaining by undemocratic means.
While it also mentioned about the possible violence and threats to rebel MLAs, Mr. Koshyari’s letter directed that adequate security to be provided outside and inside of the Assembly to maintain ‘the sanctity of the voting process and also to preempt any law and order situation which may arise.’
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As per the directions, the special session will have only one agenda of a trust vote against the CM and proceedings to be concluded in any case by 5 p.m. on the same day and it shall not be adjourned for any reason whatsoever. All the proceedings will live telecast and voting will be conducted by asking the members to rise in their seats.
Opposition BJP has called all its MLAs to Mumbai already and similar directions to the MLAs of ruling parties have also been issued.
