As they got a stamp of approval from the Supreme Court, the duo of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis - who toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government 11 months ago - said on Thursday that their government is legal and the top court verdict was a further proof of that.
“Some people described our government as illegal and unconstitutional…and, today they have the answer,” said Shinde, who took over as Chief Minister on 30 June, 2022, after toppling the Thackeray-led MVA dispensation, of which he was a senior minister.
Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister and ex-Leader of Opposition, who chose to become Deputy Chief Minister in the current dispensation. said: “In fact, in true sense, people’s verdict won today."
This is a victory for democracy and the democratic process. We are satisfied with the verdict given by the Supreme Court," the senior BJP leader said at a press conference held shortly after the verdict.
Speaking further on the verdict, Fadnavis, a lawyer by training and legislator by choice, said: “Today, MVA’s conspiracy stands defeated. Now, no one should doubt that the Maharashtra government (Shiv Sena-BJP) is completely legal….in fact it was legal from day one…those who were speculating that this government will collapse today have been silenced”.
Defending Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the then Maharashtra Governor, Shinde said, “I won't talk about what the Supreme Court said about the then Maharashtra Governor, but I would say that he acted as per the situation at the time. What if the floor test had happened and their (MVA) government had failed to muster numbers?"
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