MUMBAI: The BJP on Tuesday said it respects the Supreme Court's direction calling for a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday and expressed the confidence that the party will prove its majority.
"We respect the court order. We are ready to prove majority and we will show it," Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil told reporters here.
The saffron party's central leadership also said the SC order will establish the position of different parties in its entirety.
Its national spokesperson Nalin Kohli also rejected the contention that the apex court order on the floor test on Wednesday is a "setback" to the BJP, asserting that "no judicial pronouncement on issues of the Constitution can be a setback to any political party".
Judicial orders only strengthen the Constitution, he added.
"Is not an irony and political hypocrisy when on the one hand political parties speak about constitutional values and on the other hand express an intention to boycott parliament on the occasion of Constitutional Day," he said, attacking the Congress and other BJP rivals for boycotting the joint sitting of Parliament which is being held to mark 70 years of the adoption of the Constitution.
Kohli said the Supreme Court has to be complied with and said it was in line with the Bommai judgment that a floor test was the only conclusive test to prove the majority in the House.
He also said that once the floor test is conducted it will "establish the complete position" in its entirety.
To a question, if the order was a setback to the BJP, he said, "No judicial pronouncement on issues of the constitution can be a setback to any political party because such pronouncements ensure strengthening of constitutional provisions and add to the further evolution of democracy."
Hailing the court verdict, Shiv Sena said truth cannot be defeated. "Satyamev jayate" (truth shall prevail)," Sena leader Sanjay Raut tweeted. "Satya pareshan ho sakta hai. Parajit nahi ho sakta. Jai Hind!!" (truth can get frustrated, but cannot get defeated), the Rajya Sabha member said in another tweet.
Congress too hailed the Supreme Court order as a "victory for democracy" and asserted that it was a "slap" on the "illegitimate BJP-Ajit Pawar" government.
A government founded on fraud has been defeated on Constitution Day," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet.
Abhishek Singhvi, senior Congress leader and the lawyer for the Congress and NCP in the case, said the BJP has "brought a black name for democracy and therefore we are very grateful that the Supreme Court on no less than on Law Day, now christened Constitution Day, has given a gift to the nation."
Party president Sonia Gandhi too expressed confidence of a win in the Maharashtra Assembly floor test.
"Absolutely", Gandhi said when asked if she is confident of winning the floor test which will be held on Wednesday as directed by the Supreme Court. She made the remark at a joint opposition protest over political developments in Maharashtra in front of the Ambedkar statue inside Parliament complex.
"We welcome the Supreme Court decision to hold the Maharashtra floor test tomorrow. This is a victory for the Constitution of India, a victory for democracy and a victory of truth," the Congress said on its official Twitter handle.
"Satyamev Jayate BJP ka khel khatm" (truth alone shall win, end of the BJP's game), NCP's chief spokesperson Nawab Malik tweeted after the apex court gave its ruling.
The party patriarch Sharad Pawar too hailed the verdict,
saying he was grateful to the apex court for upholding the democratic values and constitutional principles.
He said it was heartening that the verdict came when the 'Constitution Day' is being celebrated, and dubbed it as a tribute to Dr B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution.
"I am grateful to Hon'ble SC for upholding democratic values and constitutional principles. It's heartening that the Maharashtra Verdict came on the #ConstitutionDay, a Tribute to Bharatratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar!" Pawar tweeted.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that the floor test for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prove his majority in the Maharashtra Assembly be conducted on Wednesday.
It also directed Governor Koshyari to ensure that all elected members of the House are sworn in on Wednesday itself.
The apex court also said that the entire proceedings have to be telecast live.
Voting in the Assembly shall not be on the basis of a secret ballot, it said.