Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Announces His Resignation After Supreme Court Refuses To Stay Tomorrow's Floor Test In Assembly

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned minutes after the Supreme Court ruled that he must prove tomorrow that his government still has a majority. Thackeray announced his resignation during a Facebook session he was addressing.

The Supreme Court refused to stay an order by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari calling for a special session of state assembly tomorrow (Jun 29) for Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP government to take a floor test.

The order was passed by a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala on a plea filed by Shiv Sena Chief Whip Sunil Prabhu challenging the Governor's direction as arbitrary and motivated.

Supreme Court, however, said that the result of the vote tomorrow will be subject to its verdict on July 11, when it will decide whether a section of MLAs from the Sena should be disqualified, as sought by Sunil Prabhu through a plea.

The SC bench also allowed jailed NCP legislators Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh to participate in Maharashtra assembly floor test scheduled for tomorrow.

Maharashtra plunged in to political crisis after senior Shiv Sena leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde and majority of the party legislators rebelled against the Chief Minister and Sena president, Uddhav Thackeray.

In what was widely as an attempt to stave off the collapse of the government, Narhari Zirwal, the Deputy Speaker of the state assembly, issued disqualification notices to 16 rebel Sena MLAs including Shinde, on the Thackeray-led Sena’s request.

The rebel faction of Shiv Sena then approached the Supreme Court challenging the disqualification notices as well as the appointment of Ajay Choudhari as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader.

Earlier in the day Governor Koshyari wrote to legislature secretary of the state assembly Rajendra Bhagwat directing him to make arrangements for special session for the floor test on Thursday.