Uddhav Thackeray govt to face floor test today
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MAV) government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance will face a floor test in the Assembly at 2 pm on Saturday. Thackeray, who is also the Shiv Sena president, was sworn-in as the chief minister on Thursday. The vote will take place under new pro tem speaker Dilip Walse Patil, the NCP veteran having replaced BJP's Kalidas Kolambkar in a sudden cabinet move on Friday.
Dilip Walse Patil was on Friday appointed as the pro tem speaker of the Assembly. He replaced BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, who was earlier this week appointed to the post.
The Shiv Sena chief had been asked by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to prove his majority by next Tuesday. The Maha Vikas Aghadi is likely to have a smooth sail in the House as the ruling combine has claimed support of 162 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.
Earlier at 9:30 am, Leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi met at Vidhan Bhavan today over confidence vote and Speaker election.
Meanwhile, the Congress picked party leader Nana Patole as its Speaker candidate and the BJP fielded Kisan Kathore.
In the two-day sitting of the Assembly, the trust vote will be taken up today, preceded by the introduction of the new ministers in the House. On Sunday, the Assembly Speaker's election will be likely held, followed by tabling of motion of thanks on the governor's address in the House. The new Speaker will then announce the name of the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
The Shiv Sena had emerged as the second largest party in the Maharashtra Assembly election with 56 seats; its then ally BJP was the largest party with 105 seats. Though they had the majority to form the government, the Sena ended the alliance over power sharing. The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress formed the government after the Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP.
