President's Rule in Maharashtra imposed under PM, Amit Shah's pressure

Digvijay Singh meets voters in Bhopal. Pic/Dharmendra Jore

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said that the decision to impose the President's Rule in Maharashtra was taken under pressure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

"Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was given till 8 pm time to prove its ability (to form government in Maharashtra). This decision has been taken under the pressure of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. We have objections on it," Singh told reporters at a press conference here.

However, he added that Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had been following the due process for the formation of the government in the state until the recommendation of the President's Rule. "First he invited the single largest party (BJP), then second-largest (Shiv Sena) and then third," he said.

The Congress leader's comments came in the wake of President Ram Nath Kovind giving his consent to the Governor's recommendation for President's Rule in the state. The President's Rule was imposed even as the Governor on Monday gave time to the NCP till 8.30 pm today to indicate the willingness and ability to form the government.

The Governor had earlier given the same opportunity to the Shiv Sena, which finished second in the assembly polls but did not agree to its appeal to give additional time to produce letters of support.

Earlier in the day, senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal reached Mumbai to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar over government formation.

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