A year to go for the next Assembly elections, the Supreme Court order that essentially guarantees the continuation of the BJP-Shiv Sena government may, on paper, appear to carry little weight. However, in the message it sends regarding how the Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis government was formed, it is a big morale booster for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. With its constituents Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress tackling both intra-and inter-party tensions, the Court order might also prove the glue they required to stay together and go the distance. Technically, the Court has lobbed the ball back in Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar's court to determine the fate of 16 MLAs of the Shinde Sena faction, whose disqualification had been sought by the Sena (UBT). With Narvekar a BJP leader, there are few doubts regarding how he will decide. Plus, even a disqualification, which would reduce the overall House strength to 272 from 288, would leave the BJP-Sena with enough numbers to continue. CM Shinde, who is among the 16 MLAs whom the Uddhav Sena wants disqualified, responded to the Supreme Court order saying “Satyamev jayate (Truth wins)”. Deputy CM Fadnavis said: “The constitutional and legal validity of the government has been reaffirmed.” However, as the other side pointed out, the Supreme Court upheld the continuation of the Shidne-Fadnavis government after questioning the role played by all the important institutions and authorities in paving the way for it, including Speaker Narvekar, then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and the Election Commission. The Court also held that it could not consider reinstatement of the MVA government as CM Uddhav had resigned on his own without facing a floor test at the time. While Thursday's order was a bitter-sweet outcome for Uddhav personally, he took solace in his “moral” victory. “I may have erred by resigning. But it was a moral stand taken by me at that moment. The fact that those who betrayed me (Shiv Sena rebels) were subjecting me to take the vote trust was unacceptable,” he said. Uddhav also said that on the same grounds of morality, Fadnavis and Shinde should now resign, given the Court's strictures. “We may have lost power but emerged stronger in the public domain,” he said. Allies like the NCP might have differed in the past. NCP president Sharad Pawar has regretted earlier that Uddhav did not take alliance partners into confidence when he decided to resign. “Had he consulted us, we would have impressed upon him to face the confidence vote,” Pawar said. However, MVA allies are now set to close ranks buoyed by the Court's observations. Congress president Nana Patole said, “Our stand has been vindicated by the order. We had raised questions regarding the role played by the Governor, EC and Speaker, who did not act impartially.” Welcoming the Supreme Court order, Pawar said: "It has given the responsibility to the Speaker. We will present our position in front of the Speaker, and it is his responsibility to protect the sanctity of the institution. Let's see whether he does so." From the BJP-Shiv Sena side, Fadnavis said Uddhav's talk of moral victory had no legs. “He resigned because he knew his government had been reduced to a minority and that he would be defeated.” Fadnavis also brought up Uddhav's decision to end the Sena alliance with the BJP. “Having betrayed our alliance and public mandate (then allies BJP and Sena had enough numbers after the 2019 elections to form the government), to join hands with rival Congress and NCP to become CM, Uddhav should be the last person to talk about morals,” the BJP leader said. A BJP political strategist said, “We are not totally discounting the questions raised by the Supreme Court. (But) Political battle is always about public perception. We will take course corrections where required.”
