Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday said Supreme Court’s order for a floor test in Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday means that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s “game is over”.
“Satyamev Jayate BJP ka khel khatm” (truth alone shall win, end of the BJP’s game),” NCP’s chief spokesperson Nawab Malik tweeted in Hindi after the court ruling on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court has ordered BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis to face a floor test by 5 pm on Wednesday. A bench of Justices NV Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna said a protem speaker will conduct the floor test and added that it can’t be carried out through secret ballot.
The court also said the proceedings of the floor test should be telecast live.In its order, the Supreme Court noted that oath has not been administered to legislators in Maharashtra even a month after declaration of election results.
The court said in such emergent situation to curtail unlawful practices such as horse trading, and to ensure smooth running of democracy by ensuring a stable government, it is necessary to pass certain interim directions.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress alliance is satisfied with the court order on Maharashtra. “The Constitution has been respected on Constitution Day. We are confident that we have a majority in the Maharashtra Assembly. The reality of BJP’s claim will be exposed tomorrow,” Chavan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The BJP said it respects the court verdict . “We are ready to prove majority,” Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said.
Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress had moved the court after Fadnavis took oath as chief minister on Saturday with the support of NCP’s Ajit Pawar, who was sworn-in as his deputy.
The Sena, NCP, Congress alliance claims it has the support of 162 legislators in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Koshyari’s office told the court on Monday that Fadnavis had come to him with letters to establish support of 170 MLAs.
