"The Governor travelled at the speed of a jet. It was at breakneck speed. Even a Rafale jet cannot compete with this speed," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.
The Shiv Sena filed an appeal with the Supreme Court shortly after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was ordered to prove his majority on Thursday.
The Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, took action just one day after a BJP delegation informed him that the ruling coalition had lost its majority.
"The current political scenario unfolding in the state of Maharashtra paints an alarming picture," the Governor wrote in a letter requesting that the floor test be held.
Team Thackeray, which has lost most of its MLAs to Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde, questioned the short notice, noting that the Supreme Court had given the rebels until July 12 to respond to disqualification notices.
"The Governor travelled at the speed of a jet. It was at breakneck speed. Even a Rafale jet cannot compete with this speed," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, one of the few remaining Uddhav Thackeray supporters, said
Although he did not say it explicitly, Sena leaders have accused the Governor of bias.
Raut stated that Uddhav Thackeray would file an appeal with the Supreme Court against the Governor's order to hold a special assembly session for the majority test. He called such a move "illegal" because the Supreme Court had yet to rule on MLA disqualifying.
Raut added that no floor test could occur unless action were taken against the rebel MLAs. They have done everything legally. Adding that, they are fighting this legally and will take it legally. "If you want to fight us, fight us from the front," Raut added.
Also, he said that he'd not say much about the Governor. "He is the constitutional head, but if this continues, we must take whatever actions we deem necessary," Raut concluded.
Uddhav Thackeray has lost more than 40 MLAs to rebel Eknath Shinde, who has maintained constant contact with the BJP leadership. He left Mumbai with a group of rebels last week and travelled to Surat in BJP-ruled Gujarat. He then took a flight to Assam, another BJP-ruled state. More than 50 MLAs will travel to Goa today after spending a week in a luxury hotel in Guwahati, which is heavily guarded by the state.
The BJP, which has denied involvement in the coup, made its first major move in the week-long turmoil in Maharashtra last night when former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met with the Governor and said, Uddhav Thackeray must prove his majority.
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