MVA-GUV battle is all set to intensify further

MUMBAI The bitter tussle between Governor BS Koshyari and Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government seems to be turning into a political battle.

Following Koshyari’s letter to the state legislature secretariat, directing it to hold the election to the post of Assembly speaker, CM Uddhav Thackeray, in his response, is likely to remind the governor that he has not cleared the recommendations to the legislative Council. The ruling parties feel the governor’s letter was uncalled for, while Opposition leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the governor has every right to direct the government to hold elections and even decide the date.

“The cabinet will decide when to hold the election and accordingly the governor will be informed. He has reminded us that one post is vacant. We also want to remind him that the spots of 12 legislators are vacant in the upper house. Filling up these seats is also constitutionally important. We wish the announcement or the procedure to fill these vacant seats will be done before the [Budget] session. In the next cabinet, when the date of the speaker election is decided, a decision on what to reply to the governor will be taken,” said parliamentary affairs minister Anil Parab.

Twelve members of the legislative Council are nominated by the Governor on the recommendations of the state. The recommendations were sent to Raj Bhavan in November, but Koshyari has not taken any decision. This has become a point of friction between Raj Bhavan and the MVA government. Things worsened following Thackeray’s decision last week to deny government aircraft to Koshyari to fly to Uttarakhand.

“This is perhaps happening for the first time that the governor has directed the government to hold the election of the speaker. We have forwarded the letter to the state government,” said Narhari Zirwal, deputy speaker, state Assembly. Zirwal is an NCP legislator. Governor Koshyari had sent his letter to legislature secretariat.

“Any important position that is vacant should be filled without delay. The position of Assembly speaker cannot be left vacant for a long time. The MVA government also wants to fill it and discussion among senior leaders of the three parties is going on. We want both the things to happen, elections as well as appointment of 12 members in the legislative council. The budget session is starting from March 1 and they (nominees to the 12 posts) should have the right to participate and raise issues related to the field they are representing,” said deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

According to the officials from the law and judiciary department, the decision over the date of the election has been taken and a proposal has been sent to Raj Bhavan for approval. “It is a formal approval as the governor works on the advice of the council of ministers. This is happening for the first time that the government has written a letter for the election, though he has not specified the timeline,” he said. The post is vacant after Nana Patole resigned from the post on February 4 and was later appointed as Congress chief.

The election to the post of speaker is held by secret ballot leading to the possibility of cross voting from the treasury and opposition benches. Though the three ruling parties enjoy majority with their own strength and support from the smaller parties and independents, the fall in the number registered during the confidence motion, may prove embarrassing for the government. The MVA had won the confidence motion by 169 votes on November 30 in 2019. “Have the ruling parties lost trust in their members,” asked Fadnavis.

“The final decision will be taken in the next Business Advisory Committee to be held on February 25 and will depend upon the intensity of the Covid situation. Though the government has proposed the session... it is likely to be curtailed to two weeks...”