Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra after NCP leader Ajit Pawar quit Deputy Chief Minister post, on Tuesday. While addressing the media in the press conference Fadnavis said, “I wish them all the best whoever will form the government. But that will be a very unstable government as there is a huge difference of opinions.” The BJP will not form the government as the party does not have the numbers to form the government. Thus BJP’s operation lotus has failed.
Ajit Pawar resigned few hours after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test in the Maharashtra assembly.
He further continued stating, “In elections, the clear majority was given to ‘Mahayuti’ and BJP got maximum 105 seats. We contested the election with Shiv Sena, however, this mandate was for BJP because the party won 70 percent seats out of all seats we contested.”
According to the sources, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray may take oath as a Chief Minister of Maharashtra. NCP leader Jayant Patil and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat may be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
When AV contacted former AAP leader Mayank Gandhi on Maharashtra floor test he said, “I think before the floor test Devendra Fadnavis will resign because he does not have the numbers to form a government. He had committed a big mistake by forming temporary government with NCP leader Ajit Pawar and lost complete moral ground. Fadnavis made a two major mistake- one is alliance with Shiv Sena during the election and second was he allegedly formed the government.”Â
He further continued stating, “The governor is fully supporting BJP however the Supreme Court will decide whether he is involved in all this or not. The Supreme Court has not passed any comment on that neither I want to. And I think as a political person Devendra Fadnavis has made two major errors which is not good for Maharashtra.”
After five days of swearing-in ceremony, BJP was asked to prove its majority in the Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday. When we asked veteran NCP leader he told on the condition of anonymity, “Pawar Saheb is real politician and he knows how to move his cards. He first installed Ajit Pawar and let Devendra sworn in by revoking president’s rule in state. Now he has enough time in hand to prove majority and change the game. BJP fell in his trap”.
Social activist and former AAP leader Anjali Damania said, “All the political parties have seemed to stooped to a low level and this is what not the voters have expected out of the democratic country. I am completely upset whatever has happened in the past few days and it is nothing than a political Tamasha (drama) that is happening in Maharashtra. In the floor test I hope some sanity prevails and the honorable governor definitely should allow the right pro-term speakers to come through because if a BJP person is appointed then again there will be travesty of justice.” Â
“The act which is done by Bhagat Singh Koshyari ji was completely unconstitutional because there was no emergency for him to send the letter to the president and call off the President rule in the wee hours,” she added
Looking at the challenges ahead BJP had called all its MLAs for a meeting at an exclusive sports club in Mumbai last evening. All 105 BJP MLAs have been summoned to the Garware Club at Wankhede Stadium at 9 pm.
Senior Journalist Nilesh Khare said, “I think it is a constitutionally very right decision taken by Supreme Court and it is very transparent. Pro-team speakers will be there and take the proceeding ahead and with confidence vote but he has to be transparent with the vote division and that will be a clear democratic way of doing such kind of Constitutional proceedings. And I really welcome Supreme Court decision the way they have taken it forward. “
On Bhagat Singh Koshyari he said, “See even in history the Governor always align with the ruling party and here also it is a clear indication that Koshyari is appointed by BJP government and that is the reason he is tilted to the current government “
The Supreme Court acted on a petition challenging the manner in which the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis took power after an early morning, unannounced oath ceremony on Saturday. The rival Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi, petitioned the court, calling the sudden government formation undemocratic and unconstitutional.
The BJP had told the Supreme Court it was invited by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to form government after it showed a letter of support with the signatures of 170 MLAs, including all 54 MLAs of the NCP, smaller parties and independents. The Aghadi argued that the BJP had opted out of the race after saying it didn’t have enough for a majority. After it announced its alliance on Friday, 7 pm, President’s Rule was cancelled at 5.47 am and Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in at 7.50 am.
The court agreed with the anti-BJP alliance and said: “If the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse-trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act to protect democratic values. An immediate floor test, in such a case, might be the most effective mechanism to do so.”
Ruling on a petition filed by the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP front that challenged the BJP’s surprise government formation, the court said all 288 MLAs must be sworn in by 5 pm on Wednesday under a pro-tem speaker to be appointed immediately by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The three-member bench also said the floor test must be recorded on video.
Timeline:-
- 10:42 am – Supreme orders to Maharashtra floor test on November 27 before 5 pm
- 11:26 am – Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) patriarch Sharad Pawar hails Supreme Court’s order
- 11:37 am –Â Ajit Pawar arrives at the residence of CM Devendra Fadnavis after the Supreme Court ordered for a floor test tomorrow.
- 12:44 pm– Ajit Pawar meets Sharad Pawar in Mumbai’s Trident hotel
- 02:30 pm – Ajit Pawar resigns as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra just three days after he was sworn-in in a drastic move
- 03:30 pm – Fadnavis addresses press conference at Sahyadri.
- 03:41 pm – Fadnavis resigns as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
- 04:36 pm – Fadnavis submits his resignation to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
