Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : Soon after the Supreme Court reserved its order on the joint petition of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena seeking an urgent floor test in Maharashtra for Tuesday, the Congress said it was hopeful that the top court will immediately order a floor test tomorrow and plug all chances of horse-trading in the state.
Speaking after the developments in SC, Congress leaders on Monday reiterated their demand for a floor test and said the Maharashtra Government will fall the moment their strength is tested in the house.
“SC heard both the sides today. We reiterated that democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra, people’s mandate crushed and constitution undermined. An illegitimate government has been formed. We appealed for a floor test urgently to prove that the majority is with us,” Congress media head Randeep Surjewala said.
Surjewala said Congress, NCP and Sena showed signed affidavits of 154 MLAs in the court.
“We have a full majority. Rest of the MLAs will also come to us when they escape the BJP jail and our numbers will rise.SC has reserved the judgment until tomorrow. We believe that people’s mandate will win in Maharashtra so also democracy,” Surjewala said.
Former Maharashtra CM and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan also said an illegitimate CM is sitting in Maharashtra as of today.
“I have in my hands 154 MLA affidavits who have pledged support to an alliance government under Uddhav Thackeray. Some NCP MLAs have signed at two places, with Ajit Pawar without their consent and with us with consent. There’s no alternative except a floor test to verify the truth. We want a test in 24 hours as was done in Karnataka and Uttarakhand,” said Chavan.
Congress leaders asked why the BJP sought more time to prove their majority in the house.
“Will the SC permit horse-trading? We request SC for an urgent floor test. SC‘s own constitution bench has said that the majority can only be tested in the house.
We are sure the SC will tomorrow order a floor test immediately after oath-taking of MLAs,” Chavan said after the Centre argued in the SC that Governor’s powers to call parties to form the government were discretionary and beyond judicial review and that the court cannot set deadlines for government formation.
