Mumbai: Minutes after the Bombay High Court’s order, the ruling Nationalist Congress Party hoped that the Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari would soon nominate 12 persons in the state legislative council from his quota.
NCP chief spokesman and Minority Affair Minister Nawab Malik raised questions over the Governor sitting on the file despite cabinet recommendation forwarded to him in November last year. ‘‘Even though there is no time-frame, it is the duty of the governor to approve a decision taken by the cabinet. It is mandatory and such a provision is there in the Constitution," he said.
"Since the court has said a decision should be taken in the interest of the state, we hope the governor would do so,’’ he said. ‘’It is not correct for the governor to indefinitely delay the appointments,’’ he noted.
Malik pointed out that the High Court has said the Governor and the chief minister should work in tandem. "The gubernatorial post is a constitutional post and there should be no politics. The Governor should keep in mind that he is not a political person," he said.
The HC’s observation came at a time when the tension prevailed between the MVA govt and the Governor.
Earlier, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have strongly criticized the Governor for delaying the nomination.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had claimed that the Governor is a constitutional post, however, he is acting unconstitutionally. “If the state and the country want to run according to the state constitution, then the person sitting in the constitutional position should abide by the state constitution," he viewed.
BJP has said the Governor has the powers for nomination from his quota. Leader of Opposition in state council Pravin Darekar blamed MVA partners for critising the Governor saying that he will decide when to nominate 12 members and will take a proper decision.
