Photo yours, photo-finish will be ours: BJP

MUMBAI: Minutes after the parade of “162 MLAs” at the Hyatt, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar expressed doubts “if there were even 145 MLAs (from Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP) present at the hotel”. He also sarcastically tweeted: “Photo is yours, photographer yours but the photo-finish will be ours,” later terming the show of strength by Sena-Congress-NCP as “child’s play”.
“Only criminals are paraded.These are elected representatives. It is an insult of voters,” he said. “Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar would prove their majority on the floor of the House.” Shelar’s party colleague Narayan Rane revised the MLA-parade figure quoted by the city BJP chief downward to 130.
For mally, for mer BJP state unit chief Raosaheb Danve said at a press conference at the party’s state headquarters, “BJP and NCP have formed government in unusual circumstances.” When journalists raised the issue of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar being an accused in the Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam, he said the matter was in court and the government had nothing to do with it. Insisting on the appropriateness of BJP’s government formation, he said, “Pawar, as legislative head, submitted a letter to the governor with signatures of 54 MLAs. He continues to be the party head and can issue a whip.”
BJP is pinning its hopes on technicalities to win the floor test, party sources say. “At present, the (pro-tem) Speaker is Haribhau Bagade of BJP. Ajit Pawar continues to be NCP’s legislative head, and even if NCP says he is no longer so, the Speaker needs to accept it,” said a source. “On the day of floor test, Pawar would issue a whip, and NCP MLAs voting against it would stand disqualified, automatically reducing numbers required for a simple majority.” But legislative officials said all would depend on Supreme Court’s order on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, criticising Sena, Danve said it was being represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, “who had said in court that Ram is a figment of imagination”.
Danve reminded Sena that party leader Sanjay Raut had once written an editorial against Sibal. Danve also called Raut “mad” and said he must get himself admitted to a mental hospital. “Raut should refrain from making statements on the governor and President,” he added.