To back BJP’s CM pick; NCP to abstain from House during confidence vote
In twin developments that helped the BJP firm up its Government-formation plans in Maharashtra, a softened Shiv Sena on Monday announced that it would support the BJP-led Government under any Chief Minister nominated by its erstwhile ally, and the NCP offered to abstain from voting in the event of the single-largest party seeking a vote of confidence for a “minority” Government.
On a day when it sewed up all loose ends ahead of Government formation in the State, the BJP began preparations for a gala swearing-in ceremony scheduled to be held at the Wankhede stadium on Friday (October 31). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers of all the BJP-ruled states will attend the ceremony. “The objective behind choosing as large a venue as Wankhede stadium is to allow people across the State to witness the first BJP Government being sworn in to office in Maharashtra,” Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said.
After days of dilly-dallying, the Sena, through an editorial published in Saamana, threw its weight behind the BJP, by categorically stating that it would support any leader chosen by its erstwhile saffron ally as the next Chief Minister, who would take Maharashtra ahead with the blessings of the people in the State.
As had been agreed upon between the two parties last week, two Sena emissaries and party president Uddhav Thackeray’s close aides, Subhash Desai and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai from New Delhi, met Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for Petroleum, of the BJP in New Delhi and held first rounds of talks on Tuesday on the sharing of power in the State. Sena sources confirmed that such a meeting had indeed taken place, but refrained from giving details of what transpired at the meeting.
“The right to decide who Maharashtra’s Chief Minister will be rests with Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. If the BJP’s seats increased in Maharashtra and the party has reached close to the majority mark, it is only due to Modi and Shah,” the Sena stated in an editorial published in Saamana.
Making a comparison between the two front runners for the Chief Minister’s post, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and State BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, the Sena editorial stated: “Gadkari knows Maharashtra well and has a development vision for the State. On the other hand, Fadnavis does not have the experience of being involved in governance. But, Fadnavis has an excellent legislative experience and he enjoys the confidence of New Delhi.”
“On the day of lakshmi Pooja, Fadnavis met Gadkari and took his blessings. later Gadkari met the RSS chief and took his blessings. All these blessings are undoubtedly important, but the blessings of the people are the most important. Shiv Sena is ready to support anyone who will take Maharashtra ahead with the blessings of the people,” the Sena stated in the Saamana editorial.
In a related development, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, whose party had earlier extended unsolicited support to the single-largest party in the State Assembly in forming the next Government in the State - made matters easy for the BJP that was wavering on the issue of accepting his party’s support, by announcing that his party would abstain from voting on the floor of the House in the event of the latter seeking a confidence vote for a minority Government.
The NCP chief, through this announcement facilitated the BJP in keeping ready its “Plan-B” - that of seeking confidence vote for a “minority” dispensation, a Government formed without the support of the Shiv Sena.
Meanwhile, following the demise of a newly-elected BJP MlA from Mukhed, Govind Rathod (who died of a heart attack on Sunday while he was on his way to Mumbai by Devgiri Express), the BJP has now a strength of 121 in the 288-member Assembly, while it is being supported by its pre-poll ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha which has one MlA.
If the Sena (having 63 MlAs) enters into a post-poll arrangement with its erstwhile saffron ally, the BJP-led front will have a total strength of 185 in the 288-member House.
As a part of Plan B, the BJP - which has reportedly mustered a total strength of 138 MlAs with the support of Independent MlAs and those belonging to smaller parties - has been toying with the idea of forming a “minority” Government, in the event of the Sena not extending its support to it. It is in this context that the NCP’s announcement of abstaining from the BJP’s trust vote should be viewed.
If the NCP (which has 41 MlAs) abstains from voting, the total strength of the 288-member Assembly will come down to 247. In such a situation, the BJP will need a strength of 124 MlAs to prove its majority in the House.
Justifying the NCP’s decision to abstain from voting in the event of the BJP seeking a trust vote as a minority Government, Pawar said: “We are neither supporting nor opposing (BJP). If the situation warrants, and there is voting in the Assembly (for establishing a majority), we will abstain. Numbers are such that we are compelled to do it. Otherwise, there will not be a Government in Maharashtra and within six months, there will be elections again”.
“We will be happy to see a stable Government in the State, but the BJP and Shiv Sena do not seem to be able to come together for forming a Government, yet,” the NCP chief said in an interview published in a leading financial daily on Monday.
Meanwhile, the stage is set for the BJP’s legislature party meeting scheduled to be held at 4 pm at the Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday. BJP’s central observers Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda will be present, when the legislature party elects its leader and the consequent Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Though there are five chief ministerial aspirants in the BJP, the party’s State president Devendra Fadnavis - who enjoys the confidence of both Prime Minister Modi and party’s national president Amit Shah - will in all likelihood be elected as the party’s legislature party leader on Tuesday. The likely Chief Minister-designate Fadnavis and his Cabinet will be sworn into office at a ceremony to be held on October 31.