We have majority, will pass the floor test: Rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde

Mumbai, Jun 29: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday expressed confidence that his camp of rebel MLAs has will pass the floor test scheduled to be held on Thursday.

"We will reach Mumbai tomorrow. 50 MLAs are with us. We have 2/3rd majority. We are not worried about any floor test. We will pass all things and no one can stop us. In a democracy, majority matters and we have that," says Shinde said while speaking to reporters outside the Kamakhya Devi temple in Guwahati.

Shinde said "nobody can stop us", as the number and majority are most important in a democratic system. "No one needs to go beyond the Constitution and rule of the country. It is for Maharashtra's progress and Hindutva's progress. Majority is with us," he said.

"Tomorrow after the floor test, we will sit and decide our future course of action," he said when asked if the dissidents will support the BJP in formation of an alternative government to the existing one led by Uddhav Thackeray.

All eyes would be on the Maharashtra assembly as Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has asked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove a majority by 5 pm tomorrow.

The MVA government is battling for survival as 39 out of 55 Shiv Sena MLAs are in the rebel camp. Eknath Shinde also claims the support of 10 independent MLAs. All the rebels have said there is no going back now.

A floor test is a constitutional mechanism. It is used to determine if the incumbent government enjoys the support of the legislature. In this procedure, a CM appointed by the Governor can be asked to prove majority on the floor of the Legislative Assembly of the state.

Rebel Shiv Sena leader Shinde has claimed the support of 50 MLAs, including 10 independent MLAs.

On the other hand, Uddhav enjoys the support of 4 ministers and 15 MLAs as of now. Going by the numbers, MVA government has a negligible chance of survival.

In a major setback ahead of a crucial floor test, Uddhav faction of Shiv Sena has lost four key votes as NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and Ajit Pawar have tested positive for Covid-19 and will be unable to vote.

Two other NCP MLAs Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh are currently imprisoned and hence they cannot vote. They had to skip the Rajya Sabha polling as well.

To survive, MVA might require at least 21 of the rebel Sena camp MLAs to return to the party fold and the support of AIMIM.

Shiv Sena allies NCP has 53 and the Congress (44) in the 288 assembly where the current simple majority mark is 144.

The BJP has 106 MLAs of its own and is backed by one lawmaker each from the Raj Thackeray-led MNS, the Swabhimani Paksh, the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, the Jan Surajya Party and six independents, taking its tally with allies to 116.