How Maharashtra was pushed to President's Rule

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20 days after elections, Maharashtra has ended up with President's Rule. Despite hectic parleys, no party could prove numbers before Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who exhausted all options before sending a report to the Centre after which the cabinet recommended President's Rule. It was soon okayed by the President of India. From the single largest BJP to its no-more alliance partner Shiv Sena to the third-largest NCP, the governor invited all the parties but in the end the political deadlock continued. 

IndiaTvNews.com takes a look at the events that unfolded post the declaration of Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019. 

November 9: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- the single-largest party -- to indicate its willingness to form the next governmnent. This came barely four hours before the tenure of Maharashtra assembly expired. Shiv Sena continued to say that it was ready to join hands with the BJP in government formation only if it was willing to honour its commitment on sharing the post of Chief Minister and other portfolios on an equitable basis. Devendra Fadnavis, however, rejected that there was any such understanding. Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray too hit back by calling the BJP a party of liars with whom he was not interested in negotiating.

November 10: In a stunning declaration, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conceded its inability to form the government in Maharashtra despite having the public mandate for its pre-poll alliance. The governor then invited Shiv Sena -- the second largest party in the new assembly, to indicate willingness and ability to form the next state government. 

November 11: Shiv Sena's deadline ended at 7:30 pm. It failed to produce the letters of support from the Congress and the NCP but claimed it secured 'in-principle' support from both the parties. At 8:30 pm, governor invited NCP -- the third largest party -- to form the next government in the state. The deadline ended today. But before the deadline ended, Union Cabinet recommended President's Rule in the state after Governor Koshyari submitted a report in this regard. In his report, the governor said a situation has arisen that a stable government is not possible even after 15 days of election results being declared. 

He said that all efforts have been made to form a government but he saw no probability that a stable government would be formed. The governor noted that he is satisfied that governance of the state cannot be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and he is left with no alternative and is constrained to send a report on the provision of Article 356. President Ram Nath Kovind signed a proclamation imposing President's Rule in Maharashtra Tuesday evening. 

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