Oppn asks BJP-led Maha govt to prove majority in legislature

Raising doubt on whether Shiv Sena is supporting the BJP-led government, the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde today asked the ruling dispensation to prove majority in legislature.
After the House assembled today to debate the motion of thanks on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao's address to legislature on the first day of budget session on March 6, Munde said if Sena was not supporting the government and demanding a loan waiver for farmers, then the Governor's address remains unconstitutional.
"Both the alliance partners are fighting and accusing each other in worst possible terms. Sena too is supportive of the opposition demand for loan waiver for farmers.

"(In view of this), the BJP government should prove its majority in the House. Unless it does so, the Governor's address will remain unconstitutional," Munde said.
Congress MLC Narayan Rane said the government was in "minority".
It should prove majority as Sena is not supporting the government, he said.

However, the Deputy Chairman Manikrao Thakare said Sena was very much part of the government.
"Until Sena announces its withdrawal from government, it is very much part of the government," he said.
As the Opposition continued to create uproar, the Chair adjourned the proceedings for half an hour.
After the House reassembled, Munde told the Deputy Chairman that Sena MLC Ravindra Phatak was supporting the Opposition's demand for loan waiver.

As the noisy scenes continued, Thakre again adjourned the proceedings till the question hour.
In the run-up to the civic and local bodies polls in February, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had announced to go solo at the hustings without any tie-up with the BJP. However, he remained non-committal on pulling out from the government.
Sena is the junior partner of the BJP in the Central and state governments.