Facing inevitable defeat in floor test in assembly tomorrow, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation today evening. Minutes after the Supreme Court of India refused to stay the floor test scheduled tomorrow as ordered by the governor, the CM addressed the public through a live video on Facebook, and announced that he is resigning. Along with the post of CM, he is also resigning as an MLC.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government was already in a minority as Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde had rebelled with about fifty MLAs in the assembly out of which 40 were from Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray’s government lasted for two years and seven months. Even after the resignation of the chief minister, Shiv Sena is yet to face the question of which Shiv Sena stands legal of the two camps formed after Eknath Shinde’s coup, as Shinde has already secured the support of more than two-thirds of the total number of Shiv Sena MLAs in the assembly house.
Uddhav Thackeray said in his Facebook address, “We today renamed two districts in Maharashtra as per the wishes of the Hindus, but the so-called pro-Hindutva MLAs of Shiv Sena were not there in the cabinet meeting. Congress and NCP who were thought of opposing it actually supported the decision. I don’t want Shiv Sainiks to waste their blood on the joy and celebrations of those who are eager to snatch down the son of their Shiv Sena Supremo from the post of the chief minister. You all know, how are the Thackerays. We don’t go after the chair. I had even left the official residence and came back to our residence ‘Matoshree’ in the last week. I will not let them get the evil joy of snatching me down from the post. Instead, I will resign before going to any floor test. Because nowadays, this democracy has just remained a head-count exercise. So, I am resigning as the chief minister and at the same time I am resigning as the member of the legislative council of the Maharashtra state as well.”
Uddhav Thackeray added, “They are bringing in CRPF. They are also calling the military in Mumbai. Why this much? Why this all? Notices are being issued to Shiv Sainiks to stay at home. I appeal to all the Shiv Sainiks not to make any ruckus. We did not allow that to happen in Maharashtra in whatever short regime we had. When other cities like Delhi were burning in CAA protests, we in Maharashtra maintained peace. I thank all my Muslim brothers in the state for this. They certainly deserve the thanks for maintaining the order amidst such times. Now, those who want to draw the happiness through this evil and celebrate, I urge Shiv Sainiks not to be a hurdle in their way of celebration.”
Minutes before the CM’s address, the Supreme Court refused to intervene with the Maharashtra Governor’s direction to Uddhav Thackeray-led SS-NCP-Cong ruling coalition to prove majority in Assembly on June 30, with voting at 5 pm. A Bench comprising of Justices Surya Kant & J B Pardiwala said it is ordering notice on the petitions and that Thursday’s floor test proceedings will be subject to the final outcome of the writ petition by SS chief whip Sunil Prabhu, who termed Governor’s direction for floor test as illegal. SC is set to hear Prabhu’s petition with rebel MLAs’ challenge to disqualification proceedings on July 12.
The top court also allowed jailed MLAs Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh to participate in the floor test in the Special Session of Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha tomorrow.
However, now the floor test will not be required as the MVA govt fell with the resignation of the CM. Now it will be the next government, most probably led by BJP with support of the revel Shiv Sena MLAs and several independent MLAs, which will need to prove its majority in the assembly after stacking claim to form the government.
Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the chief minister of the state on 28th November 2019 after a high voltage post-electoral political drama in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party fought the assembly election in 2019 in an alliance. They were opposed by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party’s alliance. BJP and Shiv Sena won 105 and 56 seats respectively and thus the alliance secured the necessary number. In 288 member assembly of Maharashtra 145 is the magic figure. NCP won 53 seats while Congress could manage to win 44 seats.
Shiv Sena broke the pre-poll alliance with BJP and joined hands with NCP and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. The government was criticized for its anti-Hindu approach and mismanagement and high death rate during the Covid-19 pandemic. Eknath Shinde and other rebels have emphasized that they essentially took the stand for Hindutva ideology that Shiv Sena was moving away from, especially after making a coalition government with NCP and Congress.