Maharashtra Crisis: Governor's Floor Test Order 'Unlawful', MVA Will Move SC, Says Sena’s Raut

Mumbai:  Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday termed the Maharashtra Governor's order for a floor test of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government as "unlawful", saying that the Supreme Court is yet to decide on the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs.

He said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the ruling coalition of Sena, NCP and Congress, will approach the Supreme Court and seek justice on this issue.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has issued a letter to the Maharashtra Legislature Secretary late on Tuesday night, directing him to hold a floor test of the Shiv Sena-led government at 11 a.m on June 30.

The governor's order came a week after the rebellion in the ruling Shiv Sena by senior minister Eknath Shinde, who has been camping in Guwahati with majority of party legislators and several independent MLAs. Their revolt has pushed the government led by Thackeray, who is also the Sena president, into a crisis.

Taking a dig at the governor, Raut said the Raj Bhavan has acted at a "jet speed even faster than Rafale" after BJP leaders met him, urging him to seek a trust vote.

He reminded the governor that the file pertaining to the nomination of 12 MLCs to the Upper House of the state legislature from his quota has been pending with him for a long time. 

"This (floor test order) is an unlawful activity as pleas of disqualification of 16 MLAs are pending before the Supreme Court. If such unlawful activities take place, and if the governor and the BJP trample upon the Constitution, then the SC has to interfere," Raut told reporters.

"We will go to the Supreme Court and seek justice," he said.

MVA Will Have to Move SC, says Cong's Prithviraj Chavan

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said Maharashtra's ruling MVA will have to move the Supreme Court against Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's letter mandating the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation to face a floor test on June 30.

Governor Koshyari has asked the Maharashtra Legislature Secretary to hold a floor test of the Shiv Sena-led government at 11 am on Thursday.

Talking to PTI, Chavan said the apex court has maintained status quo over the case till July 11.

He was referring to Supreme Court's move on Monday of keeping in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly till July 11. 

"The MVA will have to move the apex court against the governor's letter for a floor test. The deputy speaker (of the Assembly) will have to recognise the split in the Shiv Sena legislature party. The rebel MLAs have to give a letter that they have the support of the two-thirds of the legislature party and that they have merged with another party," he said.

Chavan said if the rebels vote against the confidence motion moved by the MVA government, then they stand to be disqualified.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday convened a meeting of the MVA leaders to discuss the situation arising out of the governor's letter.

Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs Likely to Leave Assam for Goa; Sources

Guwahati:  The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, who have been camping here for last one week, are likely to leave for Goa this afternoon, en route Mumbai. 

A SpiceJet aircraft has been hired and the flight is expected to leave Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport for Goa's Dabolim airport at around 3 pm, sources privy to the development told PTI. 

The 39 rebel Shiva Sena MLAs and some independent MLAs are going to travel together in one aircraft to Goa and from there they are likely to travel to Mumbai. 

The development came a day after Maharashtra's Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Mumbai, requesting him to ask Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority on the floor of the Assembly. 

Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde said on Wednesday that he will return to Mumbai on Thursday to "complete the formalities", indicating he would participate in moves to form a new government.

The Maharashtra legislators had first come to Guwahati on June 22 and subsequently in several batches from Gujarat's Surat in chartered flights.