Even as hectic parleys continue with the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress for government formation in Maharashtra, President's Rule was imposed in the state. President of India Ram Nath Kovind signs off on the order imposing President's rule in Maharashtra hours after Governor BS Koshiyari's letter to the President recommending that President's rule be imposed.
“Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari having been satisfied that as Govt of Maharashtra cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution, has today submitted a report as contemplated by the provisions of Article 356 of Constitution (President's Rule),” he wrote in a letter to the President on the current situation.
Raj Bhavan Press Release 12.11.2019 3.16 PM pic.twitter.com/qmlQA6ghBR
— Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) November 12, 2019
This comes two days after the BJP said it will not stake claim to form the government, and the Shiv Sena’s request for an extension to stake claim to form the government. The Governor approached the Nationalist Congress Party to indicate willingness to form the government in Maharashtra before 8.30 pm on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has moved Supreme Court challenging the Governor’s decision to reject its request seeking for more time to get the required numbers in writing. Seeking an urgent hearing, Shiv Sena has stated that the Governor cannot decide which party has majority without giving the party an opportunity to prove its numbers on the floor of the House. According to ANI, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Ahmed Patel over the issue.
On Tuesday, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi spoke to NCP chief Sharad Pawar to discuss plans to form the government and sent three senior party leaders to Mumbai to hold discussions with him. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal took to Twitter saying: "Congress President Sonia Gandhi spoke to Sharad Pawar today morning and deputed Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and myself for holding further discussions with Pawar."
He further said that the three leaders were going to Mumbai to meet Pawar at the earliest. On Monday evening, Sonia kept the Shiv Sena guessing over the Congress’s support for it to form the government in Maharashtra, even after holding two crucial meetings with senior party leaders.
On Monday, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray also spoke to Sonia seeking her support to form the government. On Sunday, the Governor invited Shiv Sena to form government in the state after the BJP said that it was unable to form the government. The Governor then on Monday evening called on the NCP as the third-largest party in the state to attempt government formation.
On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party had expressed its inability to form the government, and on Monday, the Shiv Sena could not produce the letters of support from the Congress and the NCP though it has secured 'in-principle' support from both the parties.