Constitutional crisis looms large, Maha Guv warned Prez

Five days before he recommended President's Rule in Maharashtra on November 12, Governor B S Koshiyari had intimated the President that the failure of Constitutional machinery "looms large" in the state as no parties had come forward to form the government till then.

The state was put under President's Rule on November 12 after Sena and NCP could not convince him of providing them more time and BJP saying it was unwilling to form a government.

Koshiyari had sent the preliminary report on November 7, two days before the term of the previous Assembly was to end, in which he had sought the advice of President Ram Nath Kovind on the next steps to be taken.

In the four-page report, Koshiyari explained what was happening in the state since the Assembly election results on October 24 and said that the pre-poll alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena had got 161 MLAs elected but neither the BJP nor the Sena "collectively or individually" made any claim for forming the government.

Koshiyari noted that leaders of BJP, Sena, NCP and Congress met him on "various occasions" after the results were declared but none of them discussed with him "any issue relating to constitution and/or forming of the new government". Representations were submitted to him during these meetings, "all of which were relating to topics other than constitution of or formation" of a government.

None of the parties have have so far "even ventured to make a claim", Koshiyari said. He had then said that only two days have been left for the dissolution of the Assembly.

"Emergent and appropriate steps are required to be taken, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India, as the possibility of failure of the Constitutional machinery in the state of Maharashtra on account of failure of constitution and/or formation of new government, looms large, at least at the point of time of submission of this preliminary report," Koshiyari said.

From November 9, Koshiyari had called BJP, Sena and NCP in that order asking them whether they were willing to form the government. On November 12, he recommended imposition of President's Rule in the state following which President Ram Nath Kovind issued a proclamation under Article 356.

DH on Wednesday reported that Koshiyari in his report on November 12 had expressed concern about the "eminent possibilities" of horse trading and corruption to garner support by parties while explaining the reasons for recommending President's Rule in the state.