President rule imposed in Maharashtra

Amid the ongoing political deadlock in Maharashtra, President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday signed a proclamation for imposing President’s rule in the state and the state assembly would remain in suspended state after that.

Earlier, the Union Cabinet had recommended the imposition of President’s rule in Maharashtra. After the assembly elections held last month in the state, no party could form the government.

Officials said, “President Ramnath Kovind signed the proclamation to impose President’s rule in Maharashtra.” Maharashtra Legislative Assembly will remain in suspended state. “

Sources said the political situation in Maharashtra was discussed in the meeting of the Union Cabinet convened under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it was decided to request the President to impose central rule in the state.

After the cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister left for Brazil to attend the BRICS summit.

Amidst this development, top leaders of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena are continuing discussions to remove deadlock over government formation and to raise numbers.

The Shiv Sena on Monday claimed that the NCP and Congress have pledged support to it in principle to form a government without BJP in Maharashtra but it failed in presenting a letter of support before the deadline set by the Governor.

The Congress on Tuesday criticized Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for recommending imposition of President’s rule in the state, alleging that he had “defied justice” and mocked the constitutional process.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also accused the Maharashtra governor of “arbitrarily” giving time to the NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP to prove a majority to form the government.

At the same time, Shiv Sena reached the Supreme Court on Tuesday against the decision of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to not give extra time to hand over the necessary letters of support for the formation of government in Maharashtra.

Prior to the recommendation of President’s rule in the state, Shiv Sena, which was trying to form a government with NCP and Congress, could not get the necessary letters of support from both parties.

Shiv Sena leaders met the governor before the deadline of 7.30 pm on Monday night to claim government formation.

“Shiv Sena has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Maharashtra Governor’s decision not to give extra time,” party leader Anil Parab told a news channel. We had requested the Governor to give three days to hand over the necessary letters of support. We could later prove our majority in the strength test. “

However, Congress leaders deputed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi reached Maharashtra for further talks on government formation in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said on Tuesday that a government cannot be formed in Maharashtra without the support of the Congress and the deliberations of the ‘three parties’.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had asked the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to stake claim to form the government by 8:30 pm on Tuesday evening. But Koshyari on Tuesday recommended imposition of President’s rule in the state.

According to a statement tweeted by Koshiyari’s office, “He is satisfied that the government cannot be run as per the Constitution, (and therefore) a report has been submitted today as per the provision of Article 356 of the Constitution.”

Article 356 is commonly known as President’s rule and is related to ‘failure of constitutional machinery in the state’.

However, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday dismissed criticism of the Congress’s delay in the decision to support the Shiv Sena for government formation in the state.

Asked whether the Congress had agreed to support the Shiv Sena to form the government, Chavan said that if it had not happened, his party would not have held such long discussions in Delhi on Monday.

Amid speculation on the imposition of President’s rule in the state on Tuesday, senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde said that even if the President’s rule applies, when the parties have the numbers and they claim to form the government it can be removed.

The Shiv Sena’s attempts to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra were dealt a blow on Monday when the Congress said at the last minute that it wanted to have some more discussions with its ally NCP on the subject of supporting the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

Significantly, the deadlock over the formation of government in Maharashtra has entered the 19th day and no party has been successful in forming the government so far. Earlier on Sunday, the BJP, which emerged as the largest party in the state, said that it does not have the necessary numbers to form the government.