Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackery-led Maha Vikas Aghadi govt passes floor test, gets 169 votes in favour

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance) won the floor test in Maharashtra Assembly on Saturday. The Maha Vikas Aghadi secured 169 votes in the trust vote motion, thus proving majority. Four MLAs, including those from MNS, AIMIM and CPI(M) abstained from voting. The coalition of the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress has 154 members.

The floor test began amid huge uproar as the BJP walked out of the Assembly in protest. just before the trust vote. The BJP, led by Devendra Fadnavis, protested against the selection of NCP's leader Dilip Walse Patil as the pro-tem speaker. Patil had replaced BJP's Kalidas Kolambkar as pro-tem speaker.

Former CM Fadnavis raised questions over the procedure of oath-taking and convening of the session. Soon after the commencement of the session, Fadnavis said that the special session was in violation of the rules as it began without the ceremonial singing of 'Vande Mataram'.

"Assembly starts with Vande Matram and ends with National anthem when it is called. This session started without Vande Mataram that is the reason it's violating the rules", he said, adding that they were informed late about the session. 

"We were intimated last late at night. Why was this done? Was it done because our MLA should not reach the Assembly", he asked.

Following weeks of a tussle over government formation in the state, a special two-day Assembly session of Maharashtra begun on Saturday. 

Fadnavis also alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other ministers took oath in an illegal way. To which Pro-Tem Speaker Patil, said, "You are raising an issue which is of out of the House." To this, the former chief minister said he had no right to sit in the House if he is not "allowed to speak on the Constitution"

 The BJP leader then questioned as to why the pro tem Speaker was changed before the floor test. He also questioned the need of a pro-tem speaker in place of the speaker.

"Never in the history of India has ever pro-tem speaker was changed. Why was the pro-tem speaker changed? Never in the history of Maharashtra Assembly, trust vote was conducted without electing the speaker. What was the fear this time?" he asked.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi was invited to form the government on November 26. Uddhav took oath as Maharashtra CM in a grand ceremony in Mumbai on November 28.