PremiumMaharashtra Political Crisis: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has moved out of his official residence last night, hours after an emotional appeal and an offer to quit but now the drama has shifted to Guwahati where the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs are camping
The political crisis facing the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra deepened on Wednesday after rebel party MLAs claimed the support of 46 MLAs.
Indicating a shift in the stand, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said his party is open to considering quitting Maharashtra's ruling alliance MVA if the rebel MLAs camping in Assam return and discuss their grievances with CM Uddhav Thackeray.
Catch all the live updates here:
The Shiv Sena has sought the disqualification of 12 MLAs in the wake of the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde, reported Hindustan Times.
Assam | Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLA Dadaji Bhuse, MLA Sanjay Rathod and MLC Ravindra Phatak with Eknath Shinde at Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati.
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2022
As per sources, more than 37 MLAs of Shiv Sena are present with Eknath Shinde here. pic.twitter.com/4HcsHlVEaw
The way to prove if Maharashtra's Uddhav Thackeray-led government is in minority is through floor of Assembly, NCP chief Sharad Pawar says.
In yet another setback to the Uddhav Thackeray faction amid the ongoing political crisis, Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Fatak, who was believed to be a close associate of the chief minister and was flown to Surat as an emissary where rebel MLAs were initially camping, has switched sides to join the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
Notably, Fatak is not an MLA but an MLC.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that his party will stand with Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray till the end.
In a tweet in Marathi, Raut said, ''Why wander aimlessly. The doors are open and issues can be resolved amicably through talks. Let's take a decision with self-respect instead of accepting slavery."
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Thursday said horse-trading is not new in Indian politics and the Congress' mistakes while in power at the Centre is being repeated by the BJP.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Jayant Patil on Thursday said his party is "firmly standing with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray" who is battling to retain his office, and said that they will try their best to "save the government".
The Congress on Thursday said it does not want to interfere in Shiv Sena's "internal matter" but asserted confidence in Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Banerjee also said that the BJP is trying to topple the Maharashtra govt in an unethical manner. “Send Maharashtra MLAs to Bengal, we will extend good hospitality to them, " Didi tells BJP.
Amid floods in Assam, why are Maharashtra MLAs being sent to that state to disturb affected people, asks Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
Congress calls meeting of its leaders at Sahyadri guest house at 4 pm today after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut hinted at exiting the alliance, saying if all party MLAs want that. Senior Congress leaders including HK Patil, Balasaheb Thorat, Nana Patole and Ashok Chavan will attend the meeting.
"MLAs should not communicate from Guwahati, they should come back to Mumbai and discuss all this with CM. We are ready to consider exiting out of MVA if this is the will of all MLAs, but for that, they have to come here and discuss it with the CM," says Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.
Kailash Patil, a Shiv Sena MLA says, "We were trapped and taken to Surat, I walked a kilometre to run away from there. We will not ditch Shiv Sena which has made us MLA."
A total of 42 Maharashtra MLAs are present with Eknath Shinde at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam. This includes 34 MLAs from Shiv Sena and 8 Independent MLAs. Meanwhile, only 13 MLAs were present at a meeting called by Uddhav Thackrey.
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly's Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on Thursday said he has approved the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as the Shiv Sena's group leader in the House, replacing rebel legislator Eknath Shinde.
Maharashtra rebel leader Eknath Shinde on Thursday tweeted a letter by Aurangabad MLA, Sanjay Shirsat, that, according to him, sheds light on the grievances of the legislators. In the letter, Shirsat has said that Thackeray's inner circle stopped the lawmakers from meeting the chief minister. Without naming the members of the 'coterie', the Aurangabad MLA referred to them as having been elected to the legislative council and Rajya Sabha.
ही आहे आमदारांची भावना... pic.twitter.com/U6FxBzp1QG
— Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 23, 2022
Dummy cars and a government on dialysis do not last long, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Thursday while taking potshots at the political crisis in Maharashtra where the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government is fighting for its survival. Naqvi was talking to reporters after voting in the Rampur Lok Sabha by-election. Responding to a question on what would happen in Maharashtra, he recited a couplet from the famous "Mughal-e-Azam" song, "Jab raat hai aisi matwali to subah ka alam kya hoga." "Dummy cars and a government on dialysis do not last long," the BJP leader said.
"I won't talk about any camp; I will talk about my party. Our party is strong even to this day. About 20 MLAs are in touch with us. When they come to Mumbai, you will get to know," Sanjay Raut, who is Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson, said. "It will soon be revealed, in what circumstances and pressure these MLAs left us."
Claiming of being in touch with 20 MLAs from the Eknath Shinde camp in Guwahati, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that everyone will see when the floor test happens, adding that those who leave party under pressure from ED are not a real follower of Balasaheb Thackeray. Raut further claimed that the party is still strong and that the rebels are not true "bhakts" (devotees) of Bal Thackeray.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told the media today that CM won't hold any meeting today, some MLAs are going to Varsha Bungalow for official work. Nitin Deshmukh, who has returned to Nagpur from Surat yesterday and alleged abduction attempts will hold a press conference:
A total of 42 Maharashtra MLAs are present with Eknath Shinde at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam. This includes 34 MLAs from Shiv Sena and 8 Independent MLAs: Sources
Members and workers of Assam unit of TMC protest outside Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati where rebel Maharashtra MLAs, including Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde, are staying.
#WATCH | Members and workers of Assam unit of TMC protest outside Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati where rebel Maharashtra MLAs, including Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde, are staying.
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2022
Party's state president Ripun Bora is leading the protest here. pic.twitter.com/rfoD0fQSKU
A total of 42 Maharashtra MLAs are present with Eknath Shinde at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam. This includes 34 MLAs from Shiv Sena and eight Independent MLAs, informed sources.
Notably, seven more MLAs have joined the rebel group of MLAs led by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde in Guwahati on Thursday morning further deepening the political instability in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday held a party meeting. The meeting is taking place at the residence of the NCP chief. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, ministers Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad and party leader Sunil Tatkare are present at the meeting.
The Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece "Saamana" described Eknath Shinde as a "traitor". The mouthpiece further said that the MLAs who were elected on Shiv Sena tickets have been "caught in the grip of the BJP".
A resolution passed by the Shiv Sena Legislature Party carrying signatures of 34 MLAs that rebel leader Eknath Shinde continues to be the leader, has been sent to the state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The resolution, adopted on Tuesday, said that Eknath Shinde was unanimously elected as leader of Shiv Sena Legislature Party in 2019 and continues to be the leader of the Legislative Party. It said Bharat Gogawale has been appointed as Chief Whip of the party. Following the political crisis, Shiv Sena had removed Eknath Shinde as the party's legislative party leader. However, the rebels have hit back with the resolution.
"If my own people don't want me as Chief Minister, he should walk up to me and say so... I'm ready to resign... I am Balasaheb's son, I am not after a post," Uddhav Thackeray -- who tested positive for Covid -- said in a Facebook address this evening.
Three more Shiv Sena's rebel MLAs reach Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati amid political instability in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. Deepak Kesakar (MLA from Sawantwadi), Mangesh Kudalkar (Chembur) and Sada Sarvankar (Dadar) took a morning flight from Mumbai to Guwahati, a close associate of Shinde said.
Download the App to get 14 days of unlimited access to Mint Premium absolutely free!
