The political crisis that rocked the state of Maharashtra in 2019 has finally come to an end, as the Supreme Court of India upheld the validity of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The ruling comes as a major relief to the ruling coalition, which had faced intense criticism and allegations of being an “unconstitutional alliance” by the opposition parties.
The legal battle began in November 2019, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Devendra Fadnavis and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar attempted to form the government, despite lacking the majority required to do so. The move triggered a political crisis in the state, which eventually led to the formation of the MVA government comprising of the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress parties.
The legitimacy of the MVA government was challenged by several petitions in the Supreme Court, which questioned the validity of the alliance between the three parties. The petitions argued that the government was formed in violation of constitutional norms, as the Shiv Sena, which had contested the elections in alliance with the BJP, had formed the government with the support of the NCP and Congress, which were its ideological rivals.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed all the petitions and upheld the validity of the MVA government, stating that the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had staked claim to form the government within the legal and constitutional framework. The court also rejected the argument that the government was formed by a “midnight coup” and said that there was no evidence to suggest that the NCP and Congress had coerced the Shiv Sena to join the alliance.
The judgment was welcomed by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, who expressed their satisfaction with the verdict. Speaking to reporters after the ruling, Shinde said, “The government we formed was within the legal and constitutional framework. The Supreme Court has now put its stamp on it. Earlier, people used to derive pseudo-pleasure by calling our government an unconstitutional alliance.”
The ruling has come as a major setback to the opposition parties, which had been demanding a floor test to prove the majority of the MVA government. The BJP has accused the ruling coalition of being a “coalition of convenience” and said that it had been formed to keep the BJP out of power.
The ruling is also likely to have implications for the upcoming state elections, which are scheduled to be held in 2024. The MVA government, which has been in power for more than two years, has faced several challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, floods, and the farmers’ protests. The government has also faced criticism over its handling of the economy, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.
However, with the Supreme Court upholding the validity of the government, the ruling coalition is likely to be emboldened and may seek to strengthen its position ahead of the elections. The opposition parties, on the other hand, will have to re-strategize their approach and come up with a new game plan to challenge the MVA government.
