Supreme Court Affirms Madhya Pradesh Governor's Call Seeking Floor Test

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday, endorsed the Madhya Pradesh Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister to seek a floor test, earlier in March. The Supreme Court is reported to have observed that there is nothing wrong in a state governor directing a chief minister to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly, if he has reasons to believe that a floor test is necessary. The Bench is reported to have observed that that the Governor is not taking any decision by himself, but calling for a floor test.

The apex court is reported to have observed that a state governor can ask a chief minister to go in for a floor test even when the assembly is in session. The Supreme Court Bench rejected Madhya Pradesh Congress and Kamal Nath's submission stating that a governor has the right to convene a session of the assembly, but not seek a floor test in an assembly which is functioning.

The Supreme Court is reported to have relied the verdict in the SR Bommai case in deciding the matter. An apex court Bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi passed a 68 page judgment on the powers of the governor of a state. The Bench is said to have observed that it had given a detailed judgment on Constitutional law and powers of the Governor.

It may be recalled after a prolonged political drama in Madhya Pradesh in March following the resignations of 22 Congress MLAs, many of whom stayed at a resort in Bengaluru, the Kamal Nath government collapsed even before it went in for a floor test. Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the BJP subsequently became the chief minister of MP.