Maharashtra Government: Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress Claim Majority With Over 162 MLAs In Show Of Strength

The three-way alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress--being called the Maha Vikas Aghadi--gathered their MLAs at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Mumbai to show that they have enough numbers to form a government in Maharashtra.

The gathering, which had scores of MLAs present, was addressed by top leaders of each party. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aaditya, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule were all present at the hotel. All MLAs present took a pledge to stay loyal to the three-way alliance.

Hopeful of becoming the chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray said that this was undeniable visual proof of their majority. Let the BJP do what it wants to obstruct this alliance from assuming power, he said while addressing the MLAs.

Sharad Pawar too said that he is confident that when the Supreme Court mandates a floor test, this group will be successful and form the government. He assured NCP leaders that his nephew Ajit Pawar is no longer the party whip and his instructions need not be followed.

He also criticised the BJP saying it has attempted such coups in the past too without having the adequate numbers to form the government. But he remained confident of getting more MLAs on board. “On the day of the floor test, I will bring more than 162 MLAs. This is not Goa, this is Maharashtra.”

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court reserved its order on Maharashtra government formation for Tuesday after listening to the three-way alliance's combined plea against Devendra Fadnavis being sworn in as chief minister.

Watch all the action here.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said that he is confident that their efforts will be met with success. He said that the ruling party has tried similar moves in other states too where they attempted to form governments without adequate numbers.

Pawar said that their alliance is ready to face a floor test.

Pawar said that his nephew Ajit tried to scare new MLAs as he was the party whip. The NCP chief said since that no longer the case, his orders need not be followed.

He added that he is confident that the governor will call this group to form the government after the Supreme Court mandates a floor test.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the assembly of all its MLAs at the Grand Hyatt is undeniable visual proof of their majority. Let the BJP do what it wants to obstruct this alliance from assuming power, he said while addressing the MLAs.

The three parties, hopeful of staking claim to form a government, have assembled their MLAs at Grand Hyatt. A press conference may follow soon.

The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress will parade its 162 MLAs at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai in a show of strength to the Maharashtra governor.

“We are all one and together, watch our 162 together for the first time at Grand Hyatt at 7 pm, come and watch yourself,” Sena leader Sanjay Raut wrote on twitter inviting Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari.

The Supreme Court will give its order on Maharashtra government formation on Tuesday, the apex court said while hearing the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine's plea against the governor's decision to swear in Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister.

As uncertainty in the state mounted, the Centre on Monday maintained that the BJP had the support of all 54 NCP MLAs to form a government in Maharashtra and asked the Supreme Court for two to three days to reply to the plea against Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's decision.

Appearing for the Shiv Sena, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said the combine has affidavits from 154 Maharashtra MLAs and the BJP should be asked to prove its majority within 24 hours if it has the numbers.

The Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP has filed a plea against the governor's decision to swear in BJP leader Fadnavis as chief minister and NCP's Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister in the early hours of Saturday.

The Centre told a bench comprising Justices NV Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna that the governor had in absolute discretion invited the largest party to form government on Nov. 23.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the top court the Maharashtra governor is not supposed to conduct a roving and fishing inquiry to ascertain which party has the numbers to form government.

The question is, he said, can a party come and seek the court's intervention to hold a floor test within 24 hours.

Mehta said the governor was cognizant of the facts and the situation after poll results that had led to President's rule being invoked in the state.

The apex court, after perusing Koshyari's letter inviting Fadnavis, said it has to be decided whether or not the chief minister enjoys majority support on the floor of house.

The solicitor general explained that the governor had invited Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP for government formation and President's rule was imposed only after they failed.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Ajit Pawar, told the bench that the governor rightly invited Fadnavis to form government.

Opening his arguments, Sibal, appearing for the Shiv Sena, referred to Uddhav Thackeray being declared the next Maharashtra chief minister at a press conference of the three parties.

"Where was national emergency to revoke President's rule at 5.27 a.m. and CM being administered oath at 8 am next morning," Sibal asked.

Sibal referred to the alleged haste by which President's rule was revoked and a new government was formed in Maharashtra and said it has never been done in history.

"(Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress) Combine has affidavits of 154 Maharashtra MLAs supporting it. If the BJP has numbers, then they should be asked to prove majority within 24 hours," Sibal said.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the NCP and the Congress, termed it a "fraud of the worst kind" and asked whether a single NCP MLA told Ajit Pawar that he supported him to go with the BJP.

As the hearing began on Monday morning, Mehta submitted letters of the governor and Fadnavis as asked by the bench on Sunday.

The apex court said it is not considering the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress' combine's plea that they be invited to form government in Maharashtra.

The three-judge Supreme Court bench reserved its judgement on the Sena-NCP-Congress petition against BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis’ appointment as Maharashtra’s chief minister. The verdict will now be pronounced tomorrow at 10:30 a.m.

“This is a fraud on democracy. Let's not mince any words here,” said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, beginning his argument for the nationalist Congress party and Congress.

These 154 MLAs are the ones who want a floor test for the Fadnavis government today, he said, adding that the whole story can be summed up in one sentence —“Why is that they do not want a floor test?”

“I have support of 154 MLAs and I have filed an affidavit on that,” said senior laywer Kapil Sibal who is representing the Shiv Sena in the conflict.

He further questioned the haste and need to revoke the President’s rule during the early hours of Saturday. “A Governor's decision can be looked into and that has been held in earlier judgments of this court,” he added.

Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi (representing Congress and NCP) then presented affidavits of 154 MLAs of NCP-Sena and Congress saying that they do not support the BJP-Ajit Pawar alliance.

Former Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh appeared for Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, saying he represents the Nationalist Congress Party.

Ajit Pawar and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar have been at loggerheads regarding the former’s position within the party. While Ajit maintains that he is part of the NCP, Sharad Pawar and the NCP informed the Governor of Ajit’s replacement as legislature party leader yesterday morning.

Here are the key highlights:

• BJP’s pre-poll partner turned into its foe.
• It is no one's case that any of the documents submitted are forged.
• The attack on the Governor was completely unfounded. There has to be a floor test. The Governor has also said that. The Governor acted wisely.
• But this case does not merit the court telling when the floor test should be held.

From Nov. 12 till today they (the Shiv Sena-Congress) did not approached the Governor, Mehta said, adding that they now want the Supreme Court to do something overnight.

Mehta went on to present the documents on the basis of which Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister. It contains a letter by Fadnavis, staking claim to form the government, supported by independent MLAs and a letter of support by Ajit Pawar. Pawar’s letter has signatures of 54 NCP members, Mehta said.

Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, had invited the single largest party based on documents which show Fadnavis has support of 170 MLAs, Mehta said.

Shiv Sena’s legal representative Kapil Sibal, yesterday, had argued that the Governor was acting under direct instructions and in a "biased” and “bizarre” manner.

The three-judge Supreme Court bench - comprising of Justice NV Ramana, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Sanjiv Khanna - has assembled, and the hearing has commenced.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta begun the proceedings, saying he has with him and will present the letters sought by the court on basis of which BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister.

Meanwhile...

Here are the latest political developments in Maharashtra ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on government formation matter.

9:45 a.m.: The Congress parliamentary strategy group meets at party chief Sonia Gandhi's residence in Delhi in the backdrop of the Maharashtra political situation.

Congress likely to raise the issue of Devendra Fadnavis' swearing-in along with Ajit Pawar in both houses of Parliament.

9:40 a.m.: The Shiv Sena hits out at BJP, says those who did not respect their 25-year-long friendship with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will one day dump NCP leader Ajit Pawar as well.

9:09 a.m.: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accuses the BJP of disregarding the Constitution in Maharashtra and repeating the "game" it played in Karnataka.

Source: PTI

Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam has given ‘Suspension of Business’ notice in the upper house of the parliament under rule 267 over 'Maharashtra government formation'.

What Rule 267 Says: Any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed before the Council of that day and if the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being: Provided further that this rule shall not apply where specific provision already exists for suspension of a rule under a particular chapter of the Rules.

The Supreme Court of India will continue hearing a joint petition by the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress against the Maharashtra Governor’s decision to swearing-in BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister.

In an urgent hearing on Sunday, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court heard arguments by Kapil Sibal (representing Shiv Sena), Abhishek Manu Singhvi (representing NCP and Congress) and Mukul Rohatgi (representing the BJP). At the end of the arguments, the court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to produce the documents supporting the government formation in front of the bench by 10:30 a.m. today.

The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress representatives had argued that Fadnavis’ appointment as the chief minister was illegitimate and that a floor test should be conducted immediately, which would determine that the BJP does not have enough numbers.

The court did not give any direction regarding a floor test.

This comes after a weekend of political drama, which included allegations of blackmail, kidnapping, missing MLAs; with multiple plot twists which resulted in a hastened swearing-in ceremony of BJP Maharashtra leader Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his deputy.

Ajit Pawar and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar have been at loggerheads over the decision. Ajit Pawar tweeted assuring people that “ I am in the NCP and shall always be in the NCP and @PawarSpeaks Saheb is our leader. Our BJP-NCP alliance shall provide a stable Government in Maharashtra for the next five years which will work sincerely for the welfare of the State and its people.”

Sharad Pawar replied to his nephew’s Tweet saying “There is no question of forming an alliance with @BJP4Maharashtra. NCP has unanimously decided to ally with @ShivSena & @INCMaharashtra to form the government. Shri Ajit Pawar’s statement is false and misleading in order to create confusion and false perception among the people.”

Reading List:

• Supreme Court Seeks Documents On Maharashtra Government Formation
• Ajit’s Claim To Be With NCP Is Bid To Create Confusion, Says Sharad Pawar
• NCP Informs Maharashtra Governor Of Ajit Pawar’s Replacement As Legislature Wing Leader
• Ajit’s Overnight Coup Reminds Of Sharad Pawar’s Action 41 Years Ago
• Modi’s BJP Joins Rival To Take Control Of India’s Richest State