Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday brazened out the Supreme Court verdict terming the basis of their government formation “illegal”, questioning former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s morality even as the BJP’s top leadership chose silence.

“This is a victory for democracy and democratic process,” BJP leader Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai, welcoming the Supreme Court verdict that said it would not be able to reinstall the Thackeray government as he had already resigned.

“In a democracy, importance is given to the majority. Today’s (Supreme Court) decision proves that the government we formed (along with the BJP), we did it legally and constitutionally,” Shinde said.

Fadnavis said: “He (Thackeray) got elected in an alliance with the BJP and then formed the government with the NCP and the Congress. Where did his morals go then? He left ideology for power,” Fadnavis said.

The Supreme Court verdict censured then governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, holding his decision to call for a floor test of the then Thackeray government as wrong as it was done without any independent or objective material. Koshiyari said: "I am not a law student and so I will not comment on the Supreme Court. I did whatever I thought was right at that time.”