Shinde hints at Maha return as Fadnavis meets governor
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday evening and demanded that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government prove its majority on the floor of the assembly, indicating that the week-long political turmoil was entering its final lap.
Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis returned to Mumbai after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda in Delhi and drove to Raj Bhavan from the airport. Accompanying him were four party lawmakers and letters of support from eight independent legislators.
“We have given a letter to the Maharashtra governor demanding an immediate floor test. 39 Shiv Sena members do not support the MVA government. The government is in a minority,” Fadnavis told reporters.
The meeting marked a dramatic shift in the stance of the BJP, which has been in waitand-watch mode since the MVA was hit by political turmoil last week. Despite the rebels camping in the BJP-run states of Gujarat and Assam (they said on Tuesday that they will return to Mumbai soon) the national party refused to make any public statements and maintained that it was an internal Sena matter.
At the time of going to press, the Raj Bhavan had not released any official communique on the BJP’s request for a floor test.
Legal experts indicated that the governor may order a floor test within the next few days but Sena leaders argued that any such move will be legally challenged as disqualification proceedings against 16 rebels are still pending (though the dissidents have got protection from the Supreme Court till July 11). Moreover, with acting speaker Narhari Zirwal’s authority under a cloud — the rebels have moved for his removal — any decision on moving ahead with a floor test is likely to end up before the courts.
Shiv Sena leaders said they anticipated the entry of Bharatiya Janata Party into the political activity in the state. “We will wait for Honourable Governor to give his order [based on the demand by the opposition party]. We will take our next step accordingly,” said Anil Parab, Sena leader and parliamentary affairs minister. The Sena is expected to move Supreme Court once the governor gives the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi the date for a special session to prove its majority.
CM Thackeray held a meeting with party legislators and directed them to stay in Mumbai as the political activities were expected to pick pace. “Uddhavji assured us that the Shinde group will have to merge with a political party as the law is quite clear on it. Besides that he has asked us to stay in Mumbai,” said a Sena legislator.