Shiv Sena challenges Maharashtra Governor's 24-hour deadline in Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court seeking urgent hearing against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on his refusal to extend the deadline given to the party to prove its ability to form government in the state. The Shiv Sena has made the Centre, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Maharashtra government respondents in its petition in the apex court. 

The petition says that a Governor cannot decide who enjoys a majority without the party which stakes claim being given an opportunity to do so on the floor of the House.

The development comes after the Union Cabinet recommended President's Rule in Maharashtra amid uncertainty over government formation.

On Monday, Governor Koshyari met a delegation of Shiv Sena which expressed willingness to form a government in Maharashtra but he declined the party's request for a three-day extension for submitting requisite letters of support from Congress and the NCP. 

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"We told the Governor that we are willing to form the government. We asked for at least two days' time but we were not given the time," Sena scion Aditya Thackeray said after meeting the Governor.

"The claim to form the government was not denied but the time was denied. That is why we came here within the 24-hour time span, which was allotted to us. We will continue to put in efforts to form a stable government in the state," he added. 

Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena sought support from the Congress and NCP to form government in Maharashtra after an invitation from the Governor. However, after the party failed to convince Governor Koshyari to give them more time to secure the letters of support, the NCP was asked to form a government in the state and have been given time till 8:30 pm for the same. 

The Shiv Sena has been seeking to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra after a disagreement with BJP over power sharing.