BJP’s Game Over: Congress, Sena, NCP Celebrate SC Verdict

On Constitution of India day, the political farce that was being played out in India’s financial capital of Mumbai, which badly mangled the very provisions of the Constitution, has come to an end with the resignation of Chief Minister for three days, Devendra Fadnavis.

In fact, right from the time he got himself clandestinely sworn in in the wee hours of Saturday, Fadnavis had neither legitimacy nor hopes to remain in power. The only way out was to quit.

Fadnavis is a clean man. Hence, probably an over-arching and over-ambitious BJP high command may have thrust a bad hand of cards on him. Being a loyalist, he accepted the lousy hand of cards and, in the process, got his image tarnished.

Someone higher up in the BJP messed up the situation in Maharashtra bringing a black mark on the saffron party. Of course, no one will own up or be held responsible. Ideally, the BJP should say sorry to the people of Maharashtra and India. Fadnavis too deserves an apology even as he plays the role of a fall guy.

When the unpredictable Shiv Sena left the BJP in its lust for power and looked out for fresh pastures, it would have been prudent on the part of the BJP to sit in opposition rather than tie-up with a corrupt Ajit Pawar.

On Tuesday, the day which marked the anniversary of a heinous terror attack in Mumbai, the assault of the Constitution too ended with both Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit Pawar resigning and paving the way for a new government of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress to assume office, probably tomorrow. But this new child of opportunistic politics is an illegitimate child of democracy and may not last long as they share nothing in common, except to keep the BJP out of power.

It was Ajit Pawar who first resigned as the deputy chief minister hours after the Supreme Court passed an order directing floor test in the state tomorrow. “We do not have a majority after Ajit Pawar’s resignation,” Fadnavis said announcing his intent to resign. “We realised we don’t have the numbers and we don’t want to indulge in horse-trading,” he said.

This is something he should have foreseen as a seasoned politician.

Addressing the press, Fadnavis said the poll mandate was for the BJP more so than the Shiv Sena, adding that no discussions were held with the former ally on a rotational CM post. “We won more than 70 per cent seats while Sena won around 40 per cent seats,” he said.

But in politics, such statistics do not work to logical conclusions.

In the 288-member Assembly, the BJP won 105 seats while the Sena won 56.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Sena-NCP-Congress combine and Fadnavis to face a floor test on Wednesday. A three-judge bench headed by Justice NV Ramana and comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Ashok Bhushan Tuesday said the floor test will be conducted through an open ballot and the proceeding will be recorded on video.

All that will become redundant. The new political alliance will not seek permission from the Governor to form a government.

The Governor should not give a yawning time to the new combine to prove its majority on the floor of the House. Of course, considering the way he acted recently, he will not.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena lied to the BJP and started talking to other parties. Shiv Sena claims to be a party that believes in Hindutva, but today, their Hindutva is bowing to Sonia Gandhi. They are swearing by Sonia Gandhi.

But the new combine of once-upon-a-time sworn enemies who have come together to share the spoils of power and keep the BJP out may not last long.

Looks like Maharashtra will head to mid-term polls in the near future.