Experts: Maharashtra may be moving towards President’s rule

Constitutional

experts feel Maharashtra is moving towards President’s rule after two parties,

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, have failed to prove their ability

to form the next government.

While BJP,

which is the single-largest party with 105 seats, did not stake claim to form

the government on Sunday, Sena, with 56 seats, on Monday searched for a 48-hour

extension of the deadline from the Governor to get Nationalist Congress Party

(54 seats) and Congress (44 seats) on board.

The

Governor, however, refused an extension, and instead invited NCP to form the

government.

Experts said

the Governor was exploring all options, by giving every political party a

chance to stake claim to form the next government.

A retired

Supreme Court judge Justice PB Sawant said, “BJP was given more than 17 days

after the election results, while Sena was asked to prove its majority within

24 hours. All political parties should be given equal time. The Supreme Court

verdict in SR Bommai case is very clear about it.”

The results

of the Assembly elections were announced on October 24 and Governor Bhagat

Singh Koshyari invited BJP on November 9 to form the government.

Once

President’s rule is imposed, the state’s legislative powers are taken up by the

Parliament, while the executive powers are under the scope of influence of the

President .

President’s

rule has to be approved by the Parliament in two months, after which it can be

extended till six months and again for six more months, if elections are not

possible within that period .

However,

within this time frame, political parties have the right to stake claim to form

the government at any point of time.