Maharashtra crisis: Uddhav Thackeray’s team says Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari showed “unreasonable and unholy haste” in ordering Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority. Heavens Won’t Fall If No Vote Tomorrow!
Heavens Won’t Fall If No Vote Tomorrow!
On Uddhav Thackeray, who challenged the order to prove his majority yesterday, the Supreme Court today asked how the vote was linked to the disqualification of the MLAs.
Maharashtra’s ruling coalition had asked Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde and 15 MLAs to be disqualified, but they were given time till July 12 to respond to a notice served by the deputy speaker, on whose decision-making power The question has also been raised.
Uddhav Thackeray’s team said Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari showed “unreasonable and unholy haste” in ordering Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority. It also alleged that the MLAs had “forged ties with other parties, including the BJP.”
The Supreme Court said, “How does the floor test depend on the disqualification proceedings? Or the power of the vice president? Are they interrelated?”
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Team Thackeray, said, “If you allow a floor test, you will probably allow those who will be disqualified on July 11.”
Heavens Won’t Fall If No Vote Tomorrow!
“The effect of you extending the time is that the vice president can’t decide on disqualification yet. You may or may not change your mind on July 11. How can they vote on June 30 if they are disqualified by June 22? Can?”
He said, “If the floor test is not held tomorrow, will heaven fall? Why can’t they wait till July 11? Next Supreme Court hearing?”
Why one vote this time, when two Nationalist Congress Party MLAs were down with Covid, two Congress MLAs are abroad and the Governor had just recovered from Covid, Mr. Singhvi wondered.
Mr. Singhvi said defection, as per law, is a “sin”.
“It cuts to the very roots of democracy. How can someone who is not a part of the pool be allowed to swim in it,” he questioned. “The governor cannot act on the help and advice of the leader of the opposition. Even the chief minister and the council of ministers were not consulted,” Singhvi said.
“You will allow a person to vote who is not even a member of the assembly. It is like allowing a person in the street to vote in a floor test.”
As Team Thackeray objected to the Governor’s letter for floor test, the Supreme Court asked whether it was disputed that 34 MLAs were in favor of the rebels.
Heavens Won’t Fall If No Vote Tomorrow!
“No one knows under what pressure these MLAs have been put under,” Mr. Singhvi said, remarking that the governor never called the legislators for investigation.
The Supreme Court said, “But why should the governor decide whether 34 MLAs belong to this side or that side. It is for democracy to decide.”
“These issues (which MLA is on which side) cannot be left to the subjective views of the Governor. It is to be decided on the floor of the House,” the judges said.
The rebels told the Supreme Court that the floor test had nothing to do with the disqualification proceedings. NK Kaul, representing the Shinde team, said, “I have rarely seen a party that is so intimidated by the floor test.”
“They are a hopeless minority within the party and want to capture power by any means possible,” he said.
Heavens Won’t Fall If No Vote Tomorrow!
Shortly after the Governor ordered the Chief Minister to prove his majority this morning, Team Thackeray went to the Supreme Court arguing that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s order is illegal as 16 rebel MLAs are yet to react to their possible disqualification Is.
The governor ordered the floor test a day after he met BJP leaders and told them that the Uddhav Thackeray-led alliance had lost its majority.
Around 40 MLAs have deserted Uddhav Thackeray, leaving Uddhav Thackeray in a minority in the party founded by his father, and joined the rebel Eknath Shinde in the past week.
The rebels have been hosted first by the BJP in Gujarat, then in Assam. He is likely to go to Goa, another BJP state. Heavens Won’t Fall If No Vote Tomorrow!