The Maha Vikas Aghadi – the coalition of Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena – has won the floor test, clearing way for Uddhav Thackeray to continue as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
The coalition got 169 votes, way past the halfway mark of 145 in the 288-member assembly, even as BJP MLAs staged a walk out. In addition to the 154 MLAs of all three parties, some independents and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi MLAs threw their weight behind the Uddhav Thackeray-led alliance.
Ahead of the floor test, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis challenged the selection of NCP's Dilip Walse Patil as the Pro-Tem or temporary Speaker. NCP's Dilip Walse Patil had replaced BJP's Kalidas Kolambkar as pro-tem speaker. A permanent Speaker is likely to be elected on Sunday.
"Never in the history of Maharashtra Assembly has a trust vote been conducted without electing a Speaker. What was the fear this time?" asked Fadnavis as he and other BJP MLAs staged a walkout, even as the floor test commenced.
The BJP members also created a ruckus before the walkout, when as Uddhav Thackeray introduced himself and his six-member cabinet to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Saturday afternoon.
BJP members, led by former CM Devendra Fadnavis, argued that the two-day special session was in violation of norms. He protested that the session started without Vande Matram. He said that the session starts with Vande Matram and ends with the national anthem.
Fadnavis also pointed out that they were informed about the session late night on Friday.
However, the pro tem Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil rejected the contentions saying the special session was as per the directives of Governor BS Koshyari.
After the floor test now, the election for the post of the Speaker is supposed to take place later. The BJP has nominated Kisan S Kathore as its candidate against the MVA nominee and Congress legislator Nana F Patole for the post of Speaker.
(With IANS inputs)