The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance proved its majority in the State Assembly today with 169 out of 288 members voting for the government. The BJP, which has 105 members in the House staged a walkout before the headcount alleging that the proceedings were illegal and unconstitutional.
The NCP has 56 members in the House, followed by Shiv Sena (54) and Congress (44). Other small parties and independents voted for the government while four members abstained from voting.
Speaking in the House CM Uddhav Thackeray castigated the opposition for the walkout. “I promise the people of Maharashtra a welfare State,” he said, adding that his government will follow the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Minister Jayant Patil and Balasaheb Thorat said that the BJP members led by former CM Devendra Fadnavis are baffled and unable to accept the fact that they have to occupy opposition benches.
Speaking to reporters after the BJP members walked out of the House, former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “ The proceedings of the House are not according to the Constitutional provision and hence we decided to boycott the proceedings”. Fadnavis also raised objections on the oaths taken by Chief Minister and the cabinet saying that the oaths were not as per the proforma. He said that the government was not confident of the majority and hence it changed pro-term speaker.