Maharashtra Guv seeks details of govt orders issued from June 22-24 as MVA's woes increase

As the MVA government is on the brink of collapse, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari sought information about all Government Resolutions (GRs) and circulars issued from June 22-24. This comes after Ministries controlled by NCP and Congress reportedly issued GRs for the release of funds worth hundreds of crores for development-related works even after the rebellion in Shiv Sena on June 21. As per sources, the letter sent by Koshyari's Principal Secretary Santosh Kumar to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary asked for the aforesaid information under Article 167 of the Constitution.

This article empowers the Governor to call for information relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislation. Earlier on June 24, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Pravin Darekar wrote to Koshyari seeking his intervention on the unusually large number of GRs issued by the Uddhav Thackeray-led government amid the political uncertainty in the state. The letter read, “Some 160 government resolutions were issued by the MVA in the last 48 hours, which look suspicious. I request you to intervene in this matter and put a curb on it". 

Here is the letter:

Maharashtra political crisis

The Maharashtra government plunged into a crisis on June 21 after senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and other party MLAs went incommunicado and went to the Le Meridian hotel in Surat. While the rebels urged Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to sever ties with NCP and Congress and return to the NDA fold, the latter has refused to accept this demand. As the rebels continue to be holed up in a Guwahati hotel, Shiv Sena filed a petition seeking the disqualification of 16 party MLAs. Subsequently, they challenged the disqualification proceedings and Eknath Shinde's replacement as the Legislative Party leader in the SC.

On Monday, an SC bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala extended the time granted by Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal to the rebels to submit their response to the disqualification petition until July 12. Moreover, the state government assured that no harm will be caused to the lives, liberty and properties of the 39 MLAs and their families. The apex court also refused to impose a stay on the floor test.

Meanwhile, the MVA government took away the portfolios of the Eknath Shinde camp to ensure the smooth functioning of departments. Overall, 5 Ministers and 4 Ministers of State have been divested of their portfolios owing to their unauthorized absence. These include Eknath Shinde, Gulabrao Patil, Dada Bhuse, Sandipan Bhumre, Uday Samant, Shamburaj Desai, Rajendra Yadravkar, Abdul Sattar and Bacchu Kadu who are holed up at a Guwahati hotel currently.

(With PTI inputs)