Maharashtra crisis: SC agrees to hear Shiv Sena's plea against floor test at 5 pm | 10 Updates

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear at 5 pm the plea of Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu challenging the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take floor test in the Assembly on Thursday. 

A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala took note of submissions of senior advocate A M Singhvi that an urgent hearing was needed in view of the decision taken by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asking the MVA government to prove majority at 11 am on Thursday.

Also read: Uddhav Thackeray government to face floor test at 11 am on Thursday

"We will keep at 5 pm. Please make sure that paper books are supplied by 3 pm to parties concerned," the bench said. 

Singhvi said the floor test cannot include names which are "stigmatised". 

Earlier, the apex court on June 27 had kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings against rebel Shiv Sena MLAs before the Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly till July 11, and also sought responses from the state government and others on their pleas questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.

Here's a roundup of what transpired on June 29:

* Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde claimed the support of 50 dissident MLAs from his own party and independents, contending that they can pass any floor test number. Visiting the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati for the second time in the day, Shinde asserted, "We have 50 MLAs with us, more than two-third of the legislators. We are not worried about the floor test and we will pass the test.

* Dissident MLAs visit Kamakhya temple before going to Guwahati airport. The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, who have been camping in Guwahati for last one week, are likely to leave for Goa this afternoon, en route Mumbai. A SpiceJet aircraft has been hired and the flight is expected to leave Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport for Goa's Dabolim airport at around 3 pm, sources privy to the development told PTI.

* Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs from Maharashtra have contributed Rs 51 lakh for the flood relief wok in Assam.

* Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar claimed that she has received a threat letter. The threat letter shared by her mentions that "Ajit Dada (Ajit Pawar) only has told that let the government collapse, then we will bring Aaditya Thackeray on the roads and beat him."

* Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati says, "People are with us and we will win the floor test tomorrow and will form the government. There is no need to worry."

* Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday termed the Maharashtra Governor's order for a floor test of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government as "unlawful", saying that the Supreme Court is yet to decide on the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs.

* Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis has called a meeting of BJP leaders at his residence in Mumbai this afternoon.

* Shiv Sena Chief Whip Sunil Prabhu moves Supreme Court challenging Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's direction to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30.

* Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Shiv Sena, mentions before the Supreme Court the petition of Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu, seeking an urgent hearing today; says, "the floor test is illegal."

* In his letter sent to Maharashtra Legislature's Principal Secretary Rajendra Bhagwat, Governor Koshyari, said, "A special session of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha (legislative Assembly) shall be summoned on June 30 (Thursday) at 11 am with the only agenda of a trust vote against the chief minister, and the proceedings shall be concluded in any case by 5 pm. The proceedings of the House shall be telecast live and appropriate arrangements for the same shall be made."

(With inputs from PTI)

• Maharashtra
• Uddhav Thackeray
• MVA
• NCP
• Sharad Pawar
• Sanjay Raut
• Eknath Shinde
• Shiv Sena