Maharashtra Political Crisis: Floor Test Will Decide Fate Of MVA Govt, Says Sharad Pawar

NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "We fully support Uddhav Thackeray ji. We will do everything to save the government".

New Delhi: Amidst the intensifying political crisis in Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said that the floor test will decide who has the majority. Pawar, whose Nationalist Congress Party, or MVA, is a Shiv Sena ally, told reporters this evening, "A floor test will decide who has majority". "Maharashtra government is in minority or not has to be established in Vidhan Sabha. When procedures will be followed, then it will be proved that this government is in majority," the leader said.

While extending his support for Uddhav Thackeray the senior leader said, "We have seen such situations in Maharashtra several times. With my experience, I can say that we will defeat this crisis, and the government under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray will run smoothly".

"Everyone knows how the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs were taken to Gujarat and then Assam (both BJP-ruled). We don't have to take the names of all those assisting them...Assam government is helping them. I don't need to take any names further," Pawar said.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray in the state is facing a 'difficult challenge' from the faction led by Shiv Sena's rebel Eknath Shinde. In a meeting called by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) regarding the political crisis in the state, full support was expressed toward CM Uddhav Thackeray. NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "We fully support Uddhav Thackeray ji. We will do everything to save the government".

On the other hand, Congress has also said that his party will stand with Mahavikas Aghadi. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has said, "My party will stand with Maha Vikas Aghadi and we want to work together. The present Maharashtra govt is doing developmental work in the state. BJP trying to destabilise the Maharashtra govt. They did the same in the past too in Karnataka, MP, Goa".

It is worth noting that in the political crisis of Maharashtra, the strength of the rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde is increasing continuously; about 40 MLAs have already come to support it. 

Shiv Sena seems to be on the 'backfoot' seeing the situation getting out of hand. The Shinde faction has demanded that Shiv Sena should end the alliance with Congress and NCP and form the government again with its old ally BJP. 

Shiv Sena spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut has tweeted, in which he has appealed to the rebel MLAs to resolve the matter through discussion. In this tweet addressed to the rebel MLAs, it has been said, "We are ready to walk out of MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government in Maharashtra, but party rebels should return to Mumbai (from Guwahati) in 24 hours". Raut had asked his MLAs to sit face-to-face instead of WhatsApp and tweet.