Guv refuses nod for Speaker’s poll
MUMBAI: The ongoing battle between the Uddhav Thackerayled Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari intensified on Monday after the latter withheld his assent for the legislative assembly speaker’s election scheduled for Tuesday.
To prevent cross-voting from its ranks, the MVA government had, last week, amended the rules for the Speaker’s election by allowing open voting instead of a secret ballot. MVA leaders felt this could eliminate chances of sabotage as legislators that vote against the party whip stand to face disciplinary action and even get disqualified.
Flouting the ‘whip’ issued by the party can lead to the party approaching the Speaker for the disqualification of the member from the house under the Maharashtra legislative assembly rules, which in turn have their basis in the Representation of People Act, 1951, and the tenth schedule of the Constitution (also called as the anti-defection law).
On Sunday, ministers Balasaheb
Thorat (Congress), Chhagan Bhujbal (Nationalist Congress Party) and Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) met Koshyari and requested him to approve the state cabinet’s recommendation for the election and confirm the date. However, the Governor refused to sign his approval on Monday, stating he will first examine the legality of the amendment. The leading opposition party, BJP, had objected to these amendments.
A senior minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the governor had replied stating that the decision to amend the system of voting was “unconstitutional” but that he would examine it legally. “This is contradictory. How can he call it unconstitutional and also say he will get the provision examined legally,” the minister said. The government had written back to Koshyari stating that the decision was legally sound and pointedly asked the governor whether he wanted them to hold the elections or not.
“This is an unprecedented stand-off,” a senior Congress legislator said. “Whether the government wants to hold the elections depends on whether Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is willing to brazen it out, though our decision to go ahead with the polls may be challenged in court.”