The Devendra Fadnavis-led Ministry won the trust vote in the 15th Maharashtra legislative assembly on Monday in what could be called an ‘easier done than said’ affair.

The trust motion, which was tabled by Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant, was a predictable affair. It was passed by a voice vote after which Speaker Rahul Narvekar, who was elected unopposed, announced that the motion had been approved. The 15th Legislative Assembly officially began its tenure on December 7.

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Since the BJP-led alliance secured 230 seats in the 288-member lower house, the floor test was a fait accompli, with the Opposition Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena “boycott” of the event being the only note of dissent. Since the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Mahayuti coalition has an overwhelming majority of 230 seats in the 288-member state assembly, well above the majority mark of 144 seats, the floor test was a mere formality.

Earlier on Monday, BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the 15th Maharashtra legislative assembly since the badly beaten opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance decided not to put up even a token contest.

Fadnavis, in his congratulatory speech, highlighted that Narwekar is the second member of the lower house to be re-elected to the post since the state of Maharashtra was formed in 1960. With Narwekar’s appointment as Speaker, the Mahayuti now enjoys the support of 229 MLAs, including small parties as well as independent MLAs.

The party positions in the 15th Maharashtra assembly are: Mahayuti – BJP 132 MLAs; Shiv Sena 57; NCP 41; Jan Surabaya Shakti Party 2; Rashtriya Yuva Swabhiman Party 1; Rashtriya Samaj Paksh 1; Independents 2; Rajarshi Shahu Vikas Aghadi 1. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition party positions are — Shiv Sena (UBT) 20 MLAs; Congress 16; NCP (SP) 10; CPM 1; PWP 1; AIMIM 1; Samajwadi Party 2.

However, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said his party had “boycotted” Rahul Narwekar’s election on Monday because the Maharashtra assembly Speaker Narvekar helped run “an unconstitutional government” during his previous tenure. “Everybody knows about the MLAs who first escaped to Surat and then Guwahati (after Shiv Sena split in 2022).

Everybody has seen how this person, who has been elected as the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar), helped run an unconstitutional government in the last two and half years. It is still fresh in our minds how he gave a ruling that affected Shiv Sena and NCP. We hope Narwekar won’t do injustice as a Speaker in the next five years,” Aaditya Thackeray said.

Incidentally, Rahul Narwekar, who happens to be the BJP MLA from the upmarket coastal Colaba in South Mumbai, had served as the Speaker of the 14th Legislative Assembly for two and a half years. During his previous tenure, Narwekar had ruled that the party led by Eknath Shinde was the legitimate and real Shiv Sena after the undivided Shiv Sena split. He also ruled that the faction under Ajit Pawar was the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), though the party was founded by Maratha patriarch Sharad Pawar.

Both these rulings by Narwekar were considered biased and partisan, which was reflected in Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray’s statement that NArwekar had helped run “an unconstitutional government” during his previous tenure in the 14th Maharashtra legislative assembly.