It seems like the ongoing Maharashtra government formation tussle is finally going to end tomorrow with the swear-in ceremony of Sena Cheif Uddhav Thackeray. In the series of events right after the judgement from the Supreme Court the Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar resigned stating personal reasons following which the Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis resigned saying he does not have numbers for proving majority on the floor.
The series of the event started on Saturday when Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked Devendra Fadnavis to form the government based on a letter that was allegedly signed by 170 MLAs including 54 NCP MLAs. After the secret swearing ceremony, all the parties that were working on fixing upon a common minimum program got furious and rushed to the apex court on Sunday, where the court decided to hear the case on Monday.
The Supreme Court after hearing on Monday stated that it would give its verdict by Tuesday regarding the petition filed by the newly formed alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party. All the parties combined have claimed that they have the required number to form a stable government and submitted a letter signed by 154 MLAs which was later taken back. The alliance also requested the honourable apex court for an “immediate” test of strength in the assembly. Kapil Sibal, representing the alliance Maha Vikas Aghadhi, called the BJP government formation as “fraud of democracy”.
In the argument, the centre explained why the Governor asked Shri Devendra Fadnavis to form the government. The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Governor’s office stated that Ajit Pawar had submitted a letter having signatures of all 54 NCP MLAs on Friday following which the Governor invited Devendra Fadnavis to form the government. The Governor said that he couldn’t go for any roving inquiry and he did not find any valid reason to doubt the letter. In the final verdict, the apex court then ordered for a floor test within 24 hours.
Alongside on Monday, Devendra Fadnavis took charge as the Cheif Minister of Maharastra and resumed office while Ajit Power did not.
On Tuesday Ajit Pawar resigned from his post of Deputy Chief Minister, following to which Devendra Fadnavis also announced his resignation in a press conference. During the conference, he blamed Ajit Pawar for the crisis regarding government formation and also stated that he feared that the newly formed three parties alliance might not be able to work well due to ideological differences.
He also added that BJP had a clear mandate in the election by gaining 105 seats; however, Shiv Sena wanted to be the power centre and failed to keep up on alliance terms.
The BJP and Shiv Sena had fought the Maharashtra Assembly election as an alliance but separated after the results were announced over sharing the chief ministerial post, which lead to a formation of an alliance between Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress.
Now, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be sworn in on Thursday as Chief Minister of a Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government, an unthinkable alliance because of its ideologically incompatible constituents.
However, we have to look forward as to how the newly formed trio alliance will rule the state and what more drama awaits in the future is still unclear. We wish all the very best to Uddhav Thackeray for his new journey as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
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