Maharashtra Political Crisis: SC to hear today challenge to Guv notice for floor test

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on an urgent basis Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu's plea challenging the notice of Maharashtra Governor for a floor test in the state assembly to be held on June 30.

The plea against the floor test was mentioned before the Supreme Court's vacation bench with the counsel for the Shiv Sena faction seeking an urgent hearing "today in the evening". Terming the floor test "completely illegal", Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the case needed to be heard urgently considering the floor test is scheduled for June 30.

The top court fixed the hearing "tentatively" for 5 pm in the evening while asking the Shiv Sena faction to ensure that all parties are served the relevant documents ahead of the hearing.

The Uddhav Thackeray camp, through the party's chief whip, approached the Supreme Court after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari issued a notice for the floor test to be held in the state.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had heard the petition by rebel MLAs from Shiv Sena who claimed threats to their lives and challenged their disqualification notice. The court, in an interim relief, had extended the time granted to the rebel MLAs till July 12 to reply to their disqualification notice.

Meanwhile, the court fixed July 11 as the date for hearing the question of whether the deputy speaker could proceed with the disqualification proceedings when a motion of no confidence against him remained pending.

The court refrained from passing any orders pertaining to an impending floor test.

Shortly after the Supreme Court's order, the rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde claimed support of as many as 50 MLAs from the Shiv Sena. Late on June 28, a notice from the Governor's office called on incumbent chief minister Uddhav Thackeray of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra to prove majority on the floor of the assembly.