Shiv Sena targets Maharashtra governor over delay in nominations to Legislative Council

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday (May 24) expressed hope that Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari would take serious cognisance of the Bombay High Court's observations on the delay in the nomination of 12 members to the Legislative Council under the governor's quota.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut wondered what research was being done on the file that was sent by the state government to the governor in November last year recommending 12 names for nomination. "Is anybody doing a PhD on it?" he asked while talking to reporters here.

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to file a reply explaining why the governor was taking such a long time to decide on the nomination of members to the Legislative Council, despite the 12 names having been submitted on November 6 last year.

An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Monday said six months have passed since the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state cleared the 12 names.

"It is better if the governor takes the court's observations seriously. Nobody should test Maharashtra's patience. The state has the culture of respecting its elders. If you are progressive and have patience, doesn't mean you are a coward," it said.

The editorial said the governor has a lot of work to do if he wishes so. There is a shortage of vaccines against COVID-19 which he can follow up, it said.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs 1,000 crore as relief for Gujarat following cyclone Tauktae. The governor can ask "why injustice to Maharashtra", the Marathi daily said. 

The governor can seek Rs 1,500 crore (as cyclone relief) and win the hearts of Marathi people, it said.

The editorial alleged that there was "politics" behind the delay in nomination of the 12 members to the Legislative Council. 

The delay in making the appointments "at the behest of higher-ups is an insult of the state, the Legislature and violation of the Constitution", it claimed. The editorial said the opposition is living in "false confidence" that it can topple in MVA government (comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) in the state, it said.  "This confidence is not oxygen but carbon dioxide. You will get suffocated yourself in this process," it said.

Vacancies in the Legislative Council have been kept pending to accommodate those who help the opposition to topple the MVA government, it further claimed, adding that there was no possibility for this "jugaad scheme" to become a reality.
Meanwhile, reacting to BJP leader Ashish Shelar's comments that there was no time frame for the governor to nominate members of the Upper House, Raut said, "This doesn't mean you can keep the appointments pending forever."

"Such illegal conduct is against the Constitution and does not suit a person holding high office," Raut said. He also said there were reports that the Raj Bhavan had replied to an RTI query that it did not have the file containing names of the 12 persons recommended by the MVA government.

"If this is true, it is a very serious matter," the Rajya Sabha member said.

To a question of yoga guru Ramdev's comments on allopathy, Raut said, "Had any opposition leader made such remarks, the BJP would have protested on streets."

(inputs from agency)

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