Hours after the Supreme Court asked the Centre to place before it on Monday the letters of Maharashtra Governor recommending revocation of President's rule and inviting Devendra Fadnavis to form government, the BJP said the court's decision strengthens its claim that Ajit Pawar continues to be the NCP's legislature party leader.
The bench declined fervent request of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta seeking two days time to place Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's communication on record and asked him to produce letters by Monday at 10.30 am when the matter will be taken again.
In the special hearing on a holiday, the apex court issued notices to the Centre and Maharashtra government on the petition filed by the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine against the governor's decision to swear in Fadnavis as the chief minister.
A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna also issued notice to Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Reacting to the court's decision, Shelar said, "The game is up for the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena. Ajit Pawar can issue whip to the NCP legislators." The NCP, however, claimed the Devendra Fadnavis government will be defeated in the floor test, scheduled for November 30.
Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision, NCP leader Nawab Malik said, "The swearing-in took place on the basis of bogus documents. Devendra Fadnavis does not have the numbers." "It is better if he quits on his own, else face defeat on the floor of the House during the trust vote," he said. Malik also said that out of the five NCP MLAs reported 'missing' till Sunday morning, two returned and another one posted a message on social media stating he was with the NCP.
"We expect the rest to return by evening," he said. The BJP and the Sena, which fought the last month's Assembly polls in an alliance, secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats respectively. The Sena, however, broke its three-decade-long ties with the BJP after the latter declined to share the chief minister's post. The Congress and the NCP, both pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats respectively.
