Unprecedented public parade of 162 MLAs by Sena-NCP-Congress

Mumbai

 In something never witnessed ever in Indian politics, the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress late on Monday conducted a public parade of their 162 supporting MLAs in a bid to disprove the claims of 170 legislators made by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Ajit Pawar.

The dramatic parade came barely 12 hours before the scheduled hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning on the parties challenges to the new government sworn-in early morning on Nov. 23 with Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM, creating a political upheaval in the state.

Besides the enthusiastic 162 MLAs of the three ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ partners, top leaders like Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Balasaheb Thorat, Praful Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jayant Patil, Abu Asim Azmi, Eknath Shinde, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Raut, Ashok Chavan, Nawab Malik, Jitendra Awhad, Aditya Thackeray and others were present.

Several leaders addressed the gathering against a backdrop of large hoardings proclaiming “We Are 162” in different corners of the banquet hall of Hotel Grand Hyatt, a five-star hotel in the western suburbs near the Airport.

The leaders assured the gathered legislators – many of them first-timers, from some of the remotest parts of the state – that the three parties are in a full majority and they would soon give a stable alliance government in Maharashtra.

“In many states, the BJP has governments though it is not in a majority… The centre is misusing its powers to grab power everywhere and Constitutional norms are being violated…  But this is not Goar or Manipur, this is Maharashtra,” Sharad Pawar thundered.

He reiterated that (nephew) Ajit Pawar had “no powers or authority” to ally in the name of the NCP with the BJP and urged the gathering to preserve the unity seen today.

Thackeray warned that those who attempt to create obstacles in the way of the unity of the three parties would be taught a severe lesson.

Jayant Patil and Thorat said that the three parties have already submitted a letter to the Governor earlier today staking claim to form the government on the basis of its support of at least 162 legislators.

“The people of the state don’t support this government which took birth at the dead of the night… They have lost public sympathy. All the legislators will vote against the government and it will topple… Later, our government will come to power,” Patil said.

Later, the legislators and leaders took a solemn oath in the name of the Constitution, to remain united against all adversities within the law, not to doe anything that would damage the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’, to ensure that the BJP-led government is defeated on the floor of the assembly and other points.

“The BJP has been consistenly claiming that they have over 170 MLAs on their side, but has never given the actual names of their supporting legislators. We have produced all our supporting legislators in full public… The BJP will lose the floor test in the assembly,” NCP National Spokesperson Nawab Malik said earlier.

This public parade, including a joint photo-session, comes a day after the top leaders of the three parties address ‘cross-meetings’ of the legislators of each other’s parties, again a unique development in politics.

Earlier, the parties had taken full precautions with their valuable legislators, taking their sworn affidavits of support, their names/signatures/identity papers/etc, to ensure nobody revolts later.

The trendsetter development was covered by the media in full strength, and each person was permitted inside the hall only after a proper scrutiny amid tight security inside and outside the hotel. (IANS)