Maharashtra Placed Under President's Rule After Parties Fail to Produce Numbers

Mumbai, November 12, 2019:

Maharashtra has been placed under President's Rule on Tuesday after a report from Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

President's rule has been imposed after the Governor told the Centre that none of the three parties he had invited since Saturday - BJP, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - could produce enough numbers to stake claim to power. President Ramnath Kovind has, meanwhile, accepted the Governor's recommendation.

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It is to be mentioned that 20 days after the October 24 state election results in Maharashtra, the parties have not been able to form the Government.

The Governor sent the report after the Sharad Pawar-led NCP spoke to him at 11 am, hours before its 8.30 pm deadline, and asked for more time.

President's Rule was recommended in Maharashtra in the middle of meetings between allies Congress and NCP to discuss support to the Shiv Sena.

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The NCP of Sharad Pawar received an invite last evening after the Shiv Sena failed to get a three-day extension to stake claim. The Sena has gone to the Supreme Court against the Governor's refusal to give it more time.

Koshyari had earlier given the NCP time till 8.30 pm today to prove it has the numbers after the Sena on Monday failed to get letters of support from its political rivals before the deadline set by the Governor came to an end.

The Sena on Tuesday also approached the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing against the Governor's decision to not extend the deadline given to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party to prove they have the numbers to form the government.

The Ministry of Home Affairs says President’s rule has been imposed for 6 months but it can be withdrawn earlier if any party proves the numbers to form the government. “The Governor has given his recommendation to the centre, saying that there is no party which seems to be in a position to form the government. Hence, he recommended the President’s rule.”

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