Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Convenes Special Session Today

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday where floor test will be conducted after pro-tem speaker administers oath to the 288 newly-elected members, an official said on Tuesday. The oath will be administered by newly-appointed pro tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar at the session, which will begin at 8 am.

Kolambkar was appointed by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday evening on directions of the Supreme Court which ordered a floor test on Wednesday.

"Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called a special session of the legislative assembly on Wednesday. The session would begin at 8am for the oath-taking ceremony of the 288 members. Following the oath, the pro-tem speaker will call for a floor test," the official said.

The newly elected members couldn't take oath even one month after the results of the assembly polls were announced, due to political up and downs in the state. The state remained under President's Rule for a period of 13 days between November 12 and November 23 in the wake of no political party able to form a government and the Assembly in suspended animation.

Earlier in the day, ordering a floor test for the Devendra Fadnavis government, the apex court asked Koshyari to appoint a pro-tem speaker and ensure all elected members of the House are sworn in on Wednesday itself by 5 pm. However, the BJP-led government, which was formed on the support of NCP leader Ajit Pawar on November 23, collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, after Pawar stepped down as deputy chief minister and Fadnavis as chief minister.

The 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, on Monday submitted a letter claiming support of 162 MLAs to the governor. Earlier in the day, Fadnavis announced that he was stepping down as the BJP lost majority in view of Ajit Pawar resigning from his post. The NCP has announced that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would be the next chief minister of Maharashtra.