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The political action in Maharashtra has now shifted to the Raj Bhavan after Prithviraj Chavan resigned as chief minister this morning, following the Nationalist Congress Party withdrawing support to the government. Governor C Vidyasagar Rao is believed to have launched consultations with legal experts to decide a course of action.
Legal experts, including a former state law and judiciary secretary, told Business Standard: “The governor can ask Prithviraj Chavan to lead a caretaker government till elections are over and a new government is formed. The governor can also recommend the Centre impose President’s rule.”
The Assembly’s term will end on November 9. Maharashtra will go to polls on October 15.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had on Thursday pulled out of the coalition government with the Congress after seat-sharing talks failed. The parties have been together for 15 years. Chavan would leave for Karhad on Saturday morning to file his nomination from the south Karhad seat.
Officials at the Raj Bhavan confirmed Chavan had met the governor this morning and the chief minister apprised him of the situation. In another development, BJP functionary Eknath Khadse made an appeal that President’s rule be imposed in Maharashtra as the government was now reduced to a minority. “The government needs to be dissolved as it now a minority government. There is every possibility of misuse of the government machinery by the minority government when the poll code of conduct is in place. Therefore, the governor has been requested to recommend imposition of President’s rule in Maharashtra,” Khadse said in his representation.
A Congress minister close to Chavan said it would be better if Chavan was made the head of a caretaker government. “If the governor takes a call to recommend President’s rule, it will be a negative for the Congress rank and file. It will severely affect the morale of the party members.”
The NCP has decided to wait and watch. Party leaders have already started poll campaign in their respective districts though the names of candidates have not been announced.
