Maharashtra Governor's move politically motivated: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday slammed Maharashtra Governor B.S. Koshiyari's move of recommending President's rule in the state without giving the stipulated time to the stakeholders and not inviting the Congress when he called all the other parties.

"Governor Koshiyari has committed a grave travesty of the democracy & made a mockery of the Constitutional process in recommending President's Rule in Maharashtra. Four grave violations of the Constitutional Scheme, as expressed in SR Bommai judgment, stand out," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a series of tweets.

"In absence of any single party having majority In Maharashtra, Guv should have called Single largest pre poll alliance i.e BJP-Shiv Sena together, then Second largest post poll alliance i.e Congress-NCP."

Surjewala also questioned the Governor for not calling the Congress.

"In case Guv called individual parties, why did he not call INC? And above all; Why the completely arbitrary allotment of time? 48 hours to BJP, 24 hrs to Sena & not even 24 hours to NCP, before the President's Rule," he said, terming the move "unashamedly dishonest & politically motivated".

Another Congress leader and senior lawyer Abhisehk Manu Singhvi said, "Governor of Maharashtra cannot give 48 hours to #ShivaSena for #MaharashtraGovtFormation but BJP can avail 5 weeks in other states is an arbitrary use of power by the Governor. This is what happens when constitutional posts are used to further political motivations."

The Shiv Sena has moved the Supreme Court, seeking a hearing against the Maharashtra Governor's decision not allocating three days to get letters of support from the NCP and the Congress to stake claim on formation of the government.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday recommended the President rule on the report of the Governor invoking Article 356 of the constitution in the state.