Heena Sharma Blog

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has resigned, four days after he controversially joined BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis’s government and said he had the support of legislators belonging to his National Congress Party. Pawar resigned after the Supreme Court this morning ordered Fadnavis to take a floor test on Wednesday, prompting a three-party Opposition alliance to claim victory against the BJP. Fadnavis will speak to journalists in Mumbai at 3.30pm, TV reports said. Ajit Pawar is the nephew of Sharad Pawar, NCP president, who aimed to form a government along with the Shiv Sena and Congress party. Read More

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has to prove his majority in the Assembly on Wednesday, said the Supreme Court as it ruled on a petition filed against the governor’s surprise decision to swear in the BJP leader. The floor test will be through open ballot and it will be recorded on video, the court said in a decision welcomed by the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and the Congress. The court ordered Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to ensure that all newly elected MLAs are sworn in by 5 pm on Wednesday. A pro-tem or temporary Speaker will administer the oath, said a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna. "In a situation wherein, if the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse-trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act to protect democratic values. An immediate floor test, in such a case, might be the most effective mechanism to do so," said the court, prompting the three-party alliance to dec