Uddhav Thackeray quits as Maharashtra CM after SC go-ahead to floor test

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned late on Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court refused to stay Thursday's floor test in the Assembly. 

Earlier in the day, the top court said the floor of the House is the only way to settle these issues of democracy, observed the Supreme Court on Wednesday while hearing Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu’s plea against Maharashtra Governor's direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a floor test in the Assembly on Thursday.

A vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice J B Pardiwala also asked senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Prabhu, how can floor test impacts the disqualification process or interfere with the powers of the speaker to conduct disqualification proceeding. “Our understanding is that floor of the house is the only way to settle these issues of democracy,” the bench said.

Singhvi told the apex court that people who have changed sides do not reflect the will of people and heavens won’t fall if the floor test is not held on Thursday. 

Shiv Sena rebel MLA Eknath Shinde on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction is in a “hopeless minority” within the party and a floor test in the Assembly is the best way to stop horse-trading.

Shinde's counsel told the vacation bench that any delay in the floor test would cause more damage to the democratic polity. 

Meanwhile, after spending eight days in Assam, rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Shinde, left Guwahati on Wednesday even­i­ng for Goa. A charter plane of private carrier SpiceJet took off at 6.56 pm from the Guwahati airport for the Dabolim airport in Goa, official sources.