Shiv Sena Seeks Urgent SC Hearing against Guv's Refusal for Extra Time to Muster Numbers for New Govt

Mumbai: Lawyers of the Shiv Sena on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court and sought an urgent hearing against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's refusal to grant more time to the party to submit the required letters of support to form the next government on Monday night, a party leader said on Tuesday.

The lawyers, appearing for the Sena, said they have made a request to the registrar for according urgent hearing on Tuesday itself and said they are yet to get a response. The Shiv Sena has termed the governor's Monday decision as unconstitutional, unreasonable and mala fide.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which is trying to form a possible coalition government with the support of the NCP and Congress, had failed to secure the requisite letters from both the parties. Sena leaders had met Koshyari ahead of the 7:30pm deadline on Monday to stake the claim to form government.

"The Sena has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Maharashtra governor's refusal to extend time. We had asked the governor to give us three days to submit the requisite letters of support. We could have proved our numbers in a floor test later," said Sena leader Anil Parab, adding senior lawyer and Congress MP Kapil Sibal will represent the Sena in the Supreme Court.

After the Sena failed to submit the letter of support of MLAs, the governor had invited the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the third largest party in the 288-member Assembly with 54 MLAs, to "express ability and willingness" to stake claim for government on Tuesday night.