Amid the spiralling political crisis in Maharashtra, BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Raj Bhawan on Tuesday night and requested him for a floor test in the Assembly. Fadnavis drove to Raj Bhawan straight from the airport soon after returning from Delhi where he held talks with BJP national president J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Fadnavis told the Governor that the Uddhav Thackeray-led government has lost its majority in the house since 39 rebel MLAs are not with the ruling alliance.
“We have given a letter to the Maharashtra Governor and told him that 39 Shiv Sena MLAs are saying that they don't want to be with NCP, Congress government. It shows the MVA government has lost the majority. We have requested the Governor to direct the CM to immediately prove his majority through a floor test,” Fadnavis told reporters.
The rebel legislators, who have been camping at a luxury hotel in Assam's Guwahati for the last one week, are expected to come back to Mumbai on June 30 and the floor test is likely to be held after that.
The BJP, despite denying any role in the rebellion in the Shiv Sena, is exploring options to form the next government in the state with support of the rebel MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde. Reports said Shinde may be made deputy chief minister and many of the Sena rebels would be accommodated in the cabinet in such an eventuality.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government is on the brink of collapse after Shinde, a cabinet minister, revolted against the party leadership and left Mumbai with a sizable number of MLAs on June 20. The rebels, including 39 Sena MLAs and nine Independents, have been camping in Assam even as the official faction led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is making every effort to placate them.
Thackeray on Tuesday made yet another emotional appeal to the rebel leaders to return to Mumbai and talk to him to find a solution to the present crisis. “It is not too late. I appeal to you to return and sit with me and remove the confusion (created by your actions) among Shiv Sainiks and the public,” he said in a statement.
