Maharashtra Governor B S Koshiyari wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday, saying he was “pained” and “dismayed” by the “intemperate tone and threatening tenor” of a note given to him by the state government on the Speaker’s appointment, and that it denigrated the high office he held. The administration has written to Koshiyari, requesting that voice vote elections be held for the Speakership, which has been vacant since Nana Patole of the Congress resigned. The poll was called off when Koshiyari denied the request in a letter delivered on Tuesday, the contents of which were released on Wednesday. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated they did so with the Raj Bhavan’s dignity in mind, and that they will meet with the Governor again to discuss their proposal.
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According to Koshiyari’s letter to the government, he took an oath to safeguard and defend the Constitution, and the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s suggestion for holding the Speaker’s election appeared to be unconstitutional and illegitimate. The state administration had modified the rules to allow the Speaker to be chosen by voice vote rather than a secret ballot, with Acting Speaker Narhari Zhirwal presiding. The administration had referenced Article 208 of the Constitution; however it plainly states that a House of the state legislature may create rules for controlling its conduct “subject to the requirements of this Constitution,” according to the Governor.
Koshiyari also questioned why the MVA administration took 11 months to begin the process of selecting a speaker, and said the impact of the “dramatic” changes to Assembly regulations needed to be investigated. The Shiv Sena claimed that the Centre, not the MVA administration, was exerting pressure on Koshiyari after the contents of the Governor’s letter became public. “The Governor has not approved the nomination of 12 members to the Legislative Council for over a year,” Sena main spokesman and MP Sanjay Raut remarked. He is clearly under duress in refusing to approve the names. So, who is putting the Governor under duress? The central government is clearly pressuring him to behave in accordance with its orders in order to provoke a constitutional crisis in Maharashtra.
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“If the Governor says he is dissatisfied, the administration is likewise angry since he has refused to sanction the nominees for the Legislative Council,” Sena State Industries Minister Subhash Desai remarked. The Governor should follow the Council of Ministers’ recommendations. But he wants the administration to follow his counsel in this case.” “The administration has neither coerced the Governor nor done anything unlawful,” claimed Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe. The Governor appears to have misinterpreted the terms of the government’s letter to him.”
