New Delhi: After the initial cautious treading, the Congress Party has come out in full support of the Shiv Sena-Sharad Pawar combine in the Maharashtra political drama and is geared up to corner the BJP over the matter in both Houses of Parliament on Monday.
The BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis had taken the oath as chief minister along with the NCP’s Ajit Pawar, who claimed the support of his party’s MLAs, as deputy chief minister. The Congress, which moved the Supreme Court along with the NCP and Shiv Sena on Sunday morning, had on Saturday kept away from the joint Sena-Sharad Pawar press conference in Mumbai though Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel and Maharashtra in-charge Mallikarjun Kharge did address the media later.
Sources told this newspaper that the early morning/ midnight coup on Saturday had left the Congress top brass initially worried about the stand taken by Sharad Pawar, who is known as a wily politician and had walked out of the Congress after challenging Sonia Gandhi’s leadership many years ago. However, Mr Pawar is learnt to telephoned Mr Patel and assured him he would put the NCP’s house in order and that the Congress should guard its own MLAs.
After this, the Congress went forward and its top lawyer leaders Kapil Sibal and Abhishek “Manu” Singhvi challenged the oath-taking by Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar in the Supreme Court.
On Sunday, the Congress demanded an immediate floor test, and alleged that the BJP was “running away” from proving its majority in the Maharashtra Assembly as it does not have the required numbers. Congress leader and former CM Prithviraj Chavan said the Supreme Court should order a floor test immediately to stop the horse-trading by the BJP.
Congress’ chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the current government in the state was “illegitimate” and that a floor test was the only solution. “Our demand is simple. Let us have a floor test, and whoever has the majority will be established. The BJP and Ajit Pawar are shying away and running from proving their majority on the floor of the House.
“The moment a floor test is ordered, our majority will be established and it will be proved that the BJP in a surreptitious midnight operation, using the office of the governor, constituted an illegitimate government,” he went on to add.
Another former chief minister, Ashok Chavan, claimed the BJP was trying to poach on its MLAs. All Congress MLAs have been moved to Bhopal. Earlier, they were kept at a resort in Rajasthan.
Sources said the party plans a major show of strength in Parliament on Monday, where it plans to raise the issue vociferously in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The Congress had been treading cautiously ever since the Shiv Sena had reached out to the NCP-Congress for support in forming a government. Congress president Sonia Gandhi was initially reluctant to back the Sena due to ideological differences, but had come around after the Maharashtra leaders insisted it was important to keep the BJP out. However, even when Mrs Gandhi had agreed to back the Sena in principle, it was Sharad Pawar who had told her to go slow with the letters of support.
