Loss of Majority and Loss of Principles

Suhas Palshikar writes:

Developments emanating from an internal crisis in Shiv Sena threw up many disturbing trends not only for politics in Maharashtra but also for parliamentary democratic procedures and competitive party politics more generally. Having lost support of the majority of his party members of legislative assembly (MLAs), Uddhav Thackeray could have resigned earlier and won at least a moral high ground. From the moment rebel MLAs took shelter at Surat and subsequently went sightseeing to Guwahati, it was clear that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government had lost its majority. Thackeray was, however, hopeful that as per the constitutional scheme of things, defectors may be made to pay by losing their membership of the assembly. Unfortunately for him, the threat of the Anti-defection Law was blunted by judicial intervention. Once the floor test was cleared by the Supreme Court, he was left with no option but to quit.