Jun 30, 2022 05:00 am
The Maharashtra political crisis seems to be in a forlorn as with the Supreme Court denying to stay the floor test, Uddhav Thackeray resigns as the Chief Minister.
“I am not the one who will stick to power. From today [Wednesday] morning, my workers are being sent notices by police. Central forces are here. Army might be called. Those who should have been at China borders will be here. I don't want to see blood of my workers spilling on the roads of Mumbai. Today, I resign from the post of Chief Minister," Mr. Thackeray said in a virtual address to the public
Mr. Thackeray said he was also quitting as a Member of the Legislative Council and added that he would only concentrate on party work. "I never said I will return. I never wanted to be here at this place, but I came. From now on, I will be fully with you," he told Shiv Sena workers.
Late in the evening, Mr. Thackeray submitted his resignation to Mr. Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. The Governor accepted the resignation of Mr. Thackeray and asked him to officiate as the Chief Minister until alternate arrangements are made.
Supreme Court refused to stay the floor test called for by Mr. Koshyari on June 30 to test the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's claim of majority in the House.
"We are not staying the floor test," a Vacation Bench of Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala briefly informed the warring Shiv Sena factions after taking half-an-hour recess to deliberate in their chambers following a marathon hearing which spanned four hours, starting at 5 p.m.
The court, however, said it would hear on merit the writ petition filed by Thackeray loyalist Sunil Prabhu, challenging the process leading to the call for floor test, on July 11 along with petitions filed by Sena dissidents led by Eknath Shinde, who has questioned the disqualification proceedings initiated against them.
"Tomorrow's proceedings (floor test) will be subject to the final outcome of these petitions in court," the Bench addressed the lawyers.
The court had urgently heard the challenge to the floor test amid the frenzy of political churnings in Maharashtra. "The urgency that has been created requires us to hear the matter today itself," Justice Kant submitted.
The decision in favour of allowing the floor test came after the Governor and the dissident MLAs held that delaying the trust vote would be the "anti-thesis of democracy" and "give more time for horse-trading in Maharashtra".
The Thackeray camp argued that the trust vote cannot be held when the disqualification proceedings against 16 rebel Sena MLAs, including Mr. Shinde, were pending and being examined by the Supreme Court. They said the dissidents were an "artificial majority".