Maha: 3-party front goes to governor, stakes claim

MUMBAI: NCP and Congress submitted to Maharashtra governor B S Koshyari on Monday that the Devendra Fadnavis government, sworn in on Saturday, did not enjoy a majority and would fall any moment. Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP politicians visited Raj Bhavan and submitted a letter saying that Fadnavis’s BJP-led coalition would fall on the floor of the House. They said Sena should be invited to form the government.
The one-page letter signed by NCP state unit president Jayant Patil, his Congress counterpart Balasaheb Thorat and Shiv Sena legislature party leader Eknath Shinde said that while Fadnavis was sworn-in as CM on November 23, he had earlier this month declined an invitation from the governor to form the government on the ground that he did not have the numbers.
The letter said: “Now, since he has been sworn in, he will have to prove his majority. Even today, Fadnavis does not have the majority and he will not be able prove the majority. In the event that he fails to prove it, Shiv Sena will stake claim for the formation of the government.”
The letter was accompanied by the signatures of 162 legislators supporting a Sena-led government. “We have adequate strength, we should be invited immediately for the formation of the government,” Shinde said.
Patil and Chavan submitted that based on the affidavits filed by the legislators as well as the memorandum submitted to the governor, the Fadnavis government could fall anytime. Shinde said Fadnavis should avoid embarrassing himself. “Fadnavis does not have the requisite number; to avoid an embarrassing situation he should quit as early as possible and pave the way for installation of the Sena-led government,” he said.
Patil and other NCP politicians — Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil and council chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar — also met deputy CM Ajit Pawar to urge him not to back BJP but he did not budge.
BJP politicians admitted that the real test would be in the coming days, during the speaker election and the vote of confidence. They said that if Ajit Pawar coulds secure the support of at least 40 NCP MLAs, then it would be a smooth affair. “Election to the speaker’s post is by secret ballot. Either Ajit will have to ensure support of 40 MLAs or engineer cross-voting. For the speaker, BJP will require the support of 145,” a BJP leader said.
The options before the CM and Ajit Pawar are limited. They will have to engineer defection and cross-voting. “If 29 people quit Congress, then anti-defection law will not apply to them. For NCP and Sena, too, they will require 33 and 36 MLAs, respectively, to escape the anti-defection law. Two-thirds of MLAs will have to quit, form a separate group and then support BJP,” he said.
I will not fall prey to any offer. I will not help BJP in any way. I will not indulge in any anti-party activities oath of loyalty administered to the MLAs.
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References

1. ^{^} Devendra Fadnavis (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
2. ^{^} Shiv Sena (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
3. ^{^} Jayant Patil (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
4. ^{^} Balasaheb Thorat (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

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