Koshiyari made mistake in swearing-in Fadnavis as CM: Deve Gowda

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari "committed a mistake" by hastily revoking the President's rule and swearing-in Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda said on Tuesday.

He was reacting to the developments in Maharashtra after the Supreme Court's directions on Tuesday morning asking the governor to do a floor test and subsequent resignations of Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively.

The Janata Dal (Secular) supremo told PTI that first of all "Governor Koshiyari committed a mistake by revoking the President's rule and swearing-in Fadnavis as chief minister hastily".

He should have ascertained whether Fadnavis had majority of MLAs to back him as chief minister, Deve Gowda said, adding that the Supreme Court had to finally intervene to order for a floor test.

The JD(S) patriarch said the present combination of Cong-NCP-Shiv Sena to form a stable government in Maharashtra to defeat BJP reminded him of a similar situation that had developed in late seventies.

Post-emergency, to defeat Indira Gandhi-led Congress, the then socialists joined hands with the Jan Sangh, which was a "untouchable" then.

Otherwise, how could anyone expect a party like Congress to tie-up with the Hindutva party like Shiv Sena, Deve Gowda wondered.