Congress president Sonia Gandhi today welcomed the Supreme Court’s order to hold a floor test in Maharashtra within 24 hours or by tomorrow. “We will win the floor test,” Mrs. Gandhi told reporters.
Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Mrs. Gandhi’s party, and it’s ideological opposite Shiv Sena have stitched together a new alliance – Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi – to try to form government in the state.
The alliance, which claims it has the support of 162 MLAs – 145 is the majority mark in Maharashtra – is hopeful of forming government after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test.
“In a situation wherein, if the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse-trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act to protect democratic values. An immediate floor test, in such a case, might be the most effective mechanism to do so,” said the court.
The Supreme Court also ordered Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to ensure that all newly elected MLAs are sworn in by 5 pm on Wednesday. The floor test will take place after that, said a three-judge bench.
The Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress alliance had petitioned the Supreme Court against the manner in which Devendra Fadnavis took power, in a secretive oath ceremony on Saturday morning. The alliance had called for an immediate floor test.