Would have been CM if not resigned: Uddhav Thackeray over SC’s Sena ruling

By India Today News Desk: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said, “I would have been the chief minister had I not resigned.”

Following the Supreme Court proceedings over Maharashtra political crisis, Uddhav further said, “Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign the way I did.”

In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray following a revolt by the Eknath Shinde faction, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud held that House speaker’s decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was “illegal”.

It, however, said since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.

“As per the Supreme Court ruling, the Assembly Speaker will now have to consider the whip of our faction, as the same was appointed by the party,” Uddhav said, adding, “The Speaker should make a decision at the earliest.”

FADNAVIS EXPRESSES SATISFACTION

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday expressed “complete satisfaction” over the Supreme Court’s verdict in last year’s Shiv Sena-centric political crisis in Maharashtra.

Fadnavis told reporters, “I express my complete satisfaction over the Supreme Court’s decision. Those who were speculating that this government will collapse today have been silenced (by the verdict).”

The senior BJP leader added, “I will comment on the decision in detail along with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.”

Earlier, the Supreme Court held the Maharashtra governor was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned.