Congress president Sonia Gandhi today welcomed the Supreme Court's order to hold a floor test in Maharashtra within 24 hours or by tomorrow. "We will win the floor test," Mrs Gandhi told reporters.

Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Mrs Gandhi's party and their ideological opposite Shiv Sena have stitched together a new alliance - Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi - to try to form government in the state.

The alliance, which claims it has the support of 162 MLAs -145 is the majority mark in Maharashtra - is hopeful of forming government after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test.

"In a situation wherein, if the floor test is delayed,there is a possibility of horse-trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court toact to protect democratic values. An immediate floor test, in such a case,might be the most effective mechanism to do so," said the court.

The Supreme Court also ordered Governor Bhagat SinghKoshyari to ensure that all newly elected MLAs are sworn in by 5 pm onWednesday. The floor test will take place after that, said a three-judge bench.

The Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congressalliance had petitioned the Supreme Court against the manner in which DevendraFadnavis took power, in a secretive oath ceremony on Saturday morning. Thealliance had called for an immediate floor test.

Questions were raised over the compatibility between UddhavThackeray's Shiv Sena and the Congress while talks over stitching the newalliance were going on over a week ago. The Sena fell out with the BJP - theyfought the assembly election together - after they couldn't agree on a"50:50" formula for chief minister.

Sharad Pawar eventually met with Sonia Gandhi in Delhi towork out the finer details of a possible combine. The Sena then pulled out itsonly leader in the Union cabinet, Arvind Sawant, to show that it had snappedall its ties with the BJP. This was seen as a signal of its willingness to theCongress for an alliance.