SC to hear tomorrow NCP-Shiv Sena-Cong plea against Maha Governor's decision, demands floor test

Supreme Court will hear on Sunday at 11.30 am the joint plea of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's decision inviting Devendra Fadnavis to form the government on November 23.

Senior Advocate Devadutt Kamat for Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena today said in their petition, they have requested the Supreme Court to call a special session of the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Sunday and sought urgent direction for a floor test to be conducted tomorrow itself.

"In the petition, we have said that without any majority of Fadnavis and the BJP, the governor has called and installed him as the Chief Minister. We have also asked for an urgent direction for a floor test to be held tomorrow itself within 24 hours as was directed by the court in Karnataka's case. We are hopeful the Supreme Court will hear us. Our petition has already been numbered," he said while speaking to reporters here.

The Registrar in the Supreme Court is processing it for further action, Kamat said.

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala too stated that they have "requested the court to order a floor test tomorrow itself so that the majority could be proved on the floor of the house and the hollowness of BJP and Ajit Pawar's claim can be exposed."

"As was stated our counsel, we have requested the honourable Supreme Court of India to conduct an urgent hearing tonight itself like it was done in Karnataka when an illegitimate BJP government was sworn in illegally by the Governor there. Here also, a contract has been taken to murder democracy by BJP in an illegal, unconstitutional fashion," Surjewala said.

Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress filed a joint petition in the Supreme Court against the decision of Maharashtra Governor inviting Devendra Fadnavis to form the government on November 23.

The three parties also appealed to the apex court to appoint a Protem Speaker and give directions for a floor test. The writ petition also appealed that SC should direct the proceedings of the House to be video recorded and copy of the video recording to be placed on record in the High Court.

The three parties also appealed that the voting process be conducted by a division of votes division by segregating the MLAs supporting and opposing the motion in different lobbies of the House.

After a prolonged uncertainty over the government formation that lasted nearly a month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took oath for the second term.