Ex-Maharashtra Governor Defends Move To Call Floor Test, Says Had No Options As Uddhav Resigned

CJI-led Constitution Bench on Thursday said that former Maharashtra Governor BS Koshiyari erred in concluding that the then CM Uddhav had lost support of Shiv Sena MLAs.

New Delhi: Former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari has defended his decision to call a floor test after Supreme Court held that his move to ask Uddhav Thackeray to face a floor test in the assembly was not justified. Koshiyari, defending his decision, said that he had no options as Uddhav Thackeray chose to reign instead of facing a floor test.

"When someone's resignation came to me, what would I say, don't resign," Koshiyari told reporters. Asked about the apex court's judgement, saying that the Governor have no power to enter the political arena, he immediately told reporters that it is not his job to see whether the Supreme Court's decision is right or wrong. "Now that the Supreme Court has said. So, it is the job of you people, to see whether the top court's judgement is right or wrong. It is a job of an analyst, to it and not mine," he added.

CM Shinde Backs Koshiyari

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also backed the former State Governor. "I won't talk about what Supreme Court said about the then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, but I would say that he acted as per the situation at the time," Shinde said in a press briefing in Mumbai.

This comes after, a Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud in its judgement said, "Governor cannot use power not given to him. Governor is not entitled to enter the political arena and play a role in intra-party to inter-party disputes. He cannot act on the basis that some members want to leave the Shiv Sena."

Maharashtra Guv Erred In Calling Floor Test: SC

The bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Justice Krishna Murari, Justice Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha also said that former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was "not justified" to call for a floor test based on the request of Eknath Shinde faction since he did not have enough objective material before him to conclude that the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.

The bench further said it cannot disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minster because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the Assembly.

"The Governor was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him, to reach the conclusion that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House. However, the status quo ante cannot be restored because Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. The Governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form the government," the bench said in its 141-page verdict.

The Governor had no objective material on the basis of which he could doubt the confidence of the incumbent government, the bench said, adding that he ought to apply his mind to the communication before him to assess whether the government seemed to have lost the confidence of the House.

"The resolution on which the Governor relied did not contain any indication that the MLAs wished to exit from the MVA government. The communication expressing discontent on the part of some MLAs is not sufficient for the Governor to call for a floor test. The Governor ought to apply his mind to the communication (or any other material) before him to assess whether the Government seemed to have lost the confidence of the House," the verdict stated.

Floor Test No Medium To Resolve Internal Party Disputes: DC

It further said that the political imbroglio in Maharashtra arose as a result of party differences within the Shiv Sena. "However, the floor test cannot be used as a medium to resolve internal party disputes or intra-party disputes. Dissent and disagreement within a political party must be resolved in accordance with the remedies prescribed under the party constitution, or through any other methods that the party chooses to opt for," the bench held.

It added, "There is a marked difference between a party not supporting a government, and individuals within a party expressing their discontent with their party leadership and functioning." It further said that the Governor is the "titular head of the State government" and he is a constitutional functionary who derives his authority from the Constitution. "This being the case, the Governor must be cognisant of the constitutional bounds of the power vested in him. He cannot exercise a power that is not conferred on him by the Constitution or a law made under it," the top court said.

The top court said there were no communications relied on by the Governor indicating that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the government. The Governor erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the support of the majority of MLAs.

"The exercise of discretion by the Governor, in this case, was not in accordance with law," the bench opined. The judgement of the apex court came on a batch of petitions filed by rival groups of the Shiv Sena in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis.

Appointment Of Chief Whip By Speaker Illegal: SC

The Whip has to be appointed by a political party, the top court said. The apex court held that the Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale (Eknath Shinde) as the whip of the Shiv Sena party was illegal.

"The political party and not the legislature party appoints the Whip and the Leader of the party in the House. Further, the direction to vote in a particular manner or to abstain from voting is issued by the political party and not the legislature party. The decision of the Speaker as communicated by the Deputy Secretary to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly dated July 3, 2022, is contrary to law.

The Speaker shall recognise the Whip and the Leader who is duly authorised by the Shiv Sena political party with reference to the provisions of the party constitution, after conducting an enquiry in this regard and in keeping with the principles discussed in this judgement," it held.

The apex court further said that the Speaker must decide on disqualification petitions within a reasonable time. It also said that MLA has the right to participate in the proceedings of the House regardless of the pendency of any petitions for their disqualification. "The validity of the proceedings of the House in the interregnum is not "subject to" the outcome of the disqualification petitions," it added.

Split In Shiv Sena

In August last year, the top court's three-judge bench had referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis. On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30.

After the apex court's order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.