Maharashtra; Aghadi govt passes floor test amid walkout by Opposition

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Nov 30 (ANI): Following weeks of political twists and turns, Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi, on Saturday comfortably won the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly.
The Aghadi government won the trust vote with 169 votes in its favour amid a walkout by MLAs of the opposition parties.
The proceedings for the floor test started with Congress leader Ashok Chavan moving the motion for the trust vote. NCP leader Nawab Malik and Shiv Sena's Sunil Prabhu seconded the proposal.
Before the floor test proceeding started, opposition MLAs also staged a walkout from the Maharashtra Assembly in protest alleging that the special session was not convened as per rules.
Opposition MLAs raised slogans while the pro tem Speaker requested them to remain seated for a head-count vote.
Earlier, as soon as the Assembly session began, BJP members raised slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram' and 'Har Har Mahadev' in the House. Pro tem speaker Dilip Walse Patil urged the members to maintain order in the House and allowed former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to speak.
Speaking at the floor of the House, Fadnavis termed the ongoing session of Assembly to be against the rules.
"The Assembly starts with Vande Matram and ends with National Anthem when it is called. This session started without Vande Mataram that is the reason it is violating the rules", he said.
He also said that they were informed late about the session.
"We were intimated late last night. Why was this done? Was it done because our MLA should not reach the Assembly?", he said.
Responding to Fadnavis, pro tem Speaker Walse Patil said that the session was convened after seeking permission from the Governor and hence does not violate any rule.
"The Governor gave permission for this session last night, the session was called as per rule and is legal", he said.
Ahead of the floor test, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress had issued a whip to their MLAs, directing them to remain present in the Assembly.
While Shiv Sena, the second-largest party in Maharashtra, has 56 MLAs, allies Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress have 54 and 44 legislators respectively in the state Assembly.
Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as the 18th chief minister on Thursday, three days after Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar stepped down as chief minister and deputy chief minister as they could not muster the requisite number of MLAs to prove majority in a Supreme Court-ordered floor test. (ANI)