Fadnavis raises three questions before BJP boycotts Uddhav’s trust vote
Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis raised three objections to the circumstances surrounding the trust vote and urged the pro-tem speaker to set things right before proceeding further.
Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi coalition cleared the trust vote in Maharashtra assembly on Saturday but not before a dramatic intervention by the BJP at the start of the day’s proceedings and a subsequent walkout over alleged violation of established norms by the new government.
As the assembly session began former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis raised three objections to the circumstances surrounding the trust vote and urged the pro-tem speaker to set things right before proceeding further.
In his first point, Fadnavis said only Governor had the right to call the session for the trust vote and since no such order was issued by the Raj Bhavan, the validity of the session itself was under a cloud.
“We were informed about the session at midnight. Government wanted to keep our members away from it,” Fadnavis said at one point.
In his second point of order, Fadnavis said the correct procedures demanded the trust vote is conducted by a regular speaker and not a pro-tem speaker and sought a speaker is elected first. He added that coalition’s decision to change the pro-tem speaker was both unprecedented and illegal.
“It has never happened in the history,” Fadnavis said.
The ruling alliance replaced BJP’s Kalidas Kolambkar with NCP’s Dilip Walse Patil as the protem speaker ahead of the trust vote.
In this third major point, Fadnavis questioned the validity of the oath taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his six ministers on November 27. He alleged the oaths were not taken as per constitutional guidelines.
BJP had earlier today said it would petition the Governor over Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his six ministers invoking names of party leaders, freedom fighters, Maratha king Shivaji etc “against the constitutional norms”, while taking oath.
BJP also asked why Vande Matram was not played as per the tradition at the beginning of the proceedings.
The pro-tem speaker said since the swearing in didn’t take place in the assembly, objections over it couldn’t be entertained in the House. On the issue of a pro-tem speaker presiding over the trust vote, he said it was in accordance with the Supreme Court order.
The BJP walked out soon after, leaving the floor for the coalition to pass the trust vote without any hindrance.
Congress leader Ashok Chavan moved the motion and it was seconded by NCP’s Nawab Malik and Jayant Patil along with Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde.
