Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari has asked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the house on Thursday at 11 am.
The floor test will be used to determine whether rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s claim that his faction has the support of more than 50 MLAs in the house is true.
What do you mean by a floor test?
A floor test is a legislative procedure in which an incumbent government that is suspected of losing its majority must demonstrate that it still has the confidence of the house.
The Chief Minister moves a motion for a vote of confidence, which MLAs in the House vote on. The government survives if a majority of members vote in favor; if the CM loses the vote, the government must resign.
A voice vote, in which MLAs respond to the motion verbally, is one method of voting. Voting electronically entails pressing a button to cast a vote, after which the numbers for each side are displayed on the board. In a physical vote division, lawmakers cast ballots in a ballet box, which are then counted.
But why is there a floor test in Maharashtra?
Shiv Sena rebels led by Shinde have been camping outside Maharashtra for the last week, first in Gujarat and then in Assam.
According to the rebels, they have 39 of the Shiv Sena’s 55 MLAs with them, making them the party’s majority faction. This group has stated that they oppose the Sena’s alliance with the NCP and Congress and would prefer to work with the BJP.
On Tuesday, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met with Governor Koshyari and asked for a floor test.
What’s Maharashtra Assembly’s magic number?
The Legislative Assembly has 288 members. Because a Sena member died last month, the effective strength is now 287. The magic number, or halfway point, is thus 144.
With 39 Sena MLAs defecting to Shinde’s side, the number of Sena MLAs backing Thackeray has dropped from 55 to 16. The NCP has 53 seats, while the Congress has 44. As a result, the MVA total is only 113, falling short of the halfway point.
What is the most likely outcome now?
The logistics for the floor test will be handled by the Vidhan Bhavan secretariat. In the speaker’s absence, Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal will preside.
If Thackeray loses, he will resign, and the Governor will be able to form a government with a single party. The BJP has 106 MLAs, and if the Shinde group joins or supports it, the process of forming a government can begin.
