Shiv Sena-NCP alliance requests SC to restrain Fadnavis led Maha govt from taking policy decisions

Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance on Tuesday requested the Supreme Court to restrain the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led Maharashtra government from taking important policy decisions.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Ramana which pronounced its order on the Maharashtra assembly floor test today.

Meanwhile, the top court has ordered that a floor test should be held in the Maharashtra Assembly before 5 pm on November 27, days after BJP's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the state's chief minister nixing Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP's bid.

"The proceedings shall be live telecast. Open secret ballot, pro-tem speaker should be appointed to conduct floor test which should be completed before five pm tomorrow," Justice N V Ramana said while pronouncing the order on the Sena-Congress-NCP plea against BJP-led government formation in the state.

Apex court passed the order on a joint petition filed by the three parties challenging Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's decision to swear in Fadnavis as Chief Minister and NCP's Ajit Pawar as his deputy during early hours of Saturday.

The oaths were administered at a time when deliberations among the three parties on government formation had reached the final stage. The urgent plea filed by the trio sought a direction to conduct an immediate floor test.

Floor test is a constitutional mechanism under which a chief minister can be asked to prove majority in the state Assembly.

During the course of proceedings yesterday, even though the Governor's office and all the parties agreed to a floor test, they had a scattered view on when it should be held.