Shiv Sena isolated on no-confidence motion against Congress-NCP govt

Home minister R R Patil's challenge leads to noisy protests

The opposition Shiv Sena stood isolated in the Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday over its decision to move a no-confidence motion against the Congress-NCP government. The Sena’s alliance partner, the BJP, refused to extend support to the motion, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) questioned its timing.

The Sena’s move coincided with its stand against the demolition of a makeshift memorial to late party chief Bal Thackeray at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. But the party defended its move, saying it wanted to move the motion to expose the government on issues related to the multi-crore irrigation scam, corruption in toll collection and implementation of various schemes in the tribal development department, the deteriorating law and order situation and the failure to effectively tackle drought conditions in the state.

 

The motion, submitted by the Sena to speaker Dilip Walse-Patil on November 27, came up for mentioning on Tuesday. According to state legislature rules, a no-confidence motion needs to be mentioned in the Lower House within two days.

When the Speaker wanted to know from the Sena’s group leader in the Assembly, Subhash Desai, on moving the motion, the party failed to unite the Opposition. While the Sena has 46 legislators in the 288-member Assembly, the 47-member BJP and the MNS with 12 members failed to make up their minds on whether to vote in favour.

Home Minister R R Patil took advantage of the divided opposition and declared the government was prepared to face the no-confidence motion in and outside the legislature. This led to noisy protests from the opposition, which pressed for an apology from Patil. After four adjournments, the presiding officer called for the business of the day and adjourned the Assembly after the completion of subjects lined up for on Tuesday’s proceedings.

Patil provoked the BJP, in particular, as it was not in a mood for an immediate debate on the Sena’s no-confidence motion, as it had organised a protest against the alleged misrule of the state government.

The Congress has 82 members in the Assembly, followed by the NCP’s 62, while 23 Independents and smaller parties are supporting the government.

The Sena's failure to pursue the motion also exposed its cracks within. Desai, who enjoys the tacit support of party executive president Uddhav Thackeray, is pitted against a group of young turks who have been complaining about not getting enough opportunity to put up their case in the House.