The political turmoil in Maharashtra continues with the rebellion growing stronger against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose party Shiv Sena has now sought the disqualification of four more rebel MLAs.
The latest developments suggest rebel leader Eknath Shinde has reached the critical number of MLAs, 37, required to split the party in the assembly without falling foul of the anti-defection law. His total strength is now 42.However, speaking to NDTV this morning, he claimed more than 50 MLAs are supporting him, including 40 from the Sena.
Mr Shinde earlier asserted that the Sena's alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress in Maharashtra is "unnatural", and that it should restore its alliance with the BJP.
Here are the Live Updates on Maharashtra Political Crisis:
Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Mangesh Kudalkar's Office Allegedly Attacked By Party WorkersThe office of one of the rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena, Mangesh Kudalkar, was vandalised on Friday allegedly by party workers amid the ongoing factionalism in the party.
NDTV Showed What Happened At Airport, Uddhav Thackeray On Rebel Shiv Sena MLAsMaharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in a late-night open Zoom call with reporters and the public strongly condemned the way his party's MLA, Eknath Shinde, and 21 other rebels sneaked out from Mumbai on Monday night.
We have been betrayed by our own people, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on rebellion in Shiv Sena
#MaharashtraCrisis | "We want to save our party (Shiv Sena) and take it forward, we don't want the Maha Vikas Aghadi": Rebel #ShivSena MLA Deepak Kesarkar#NDTVExclusive pic.twitter.com/Zpaox7kFqH
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
Maharashtra Deputy Speaker May Send Notices To 16 Sena Rebels: SourcesMaharashtraDeputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal is likely to send disqualification notices to 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs tomorrow, sources have said.
#MaharashtraCrisis pic.twitter.com/7iUhCQ9et3
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
#MaharashtraCrisis | "I ran away from barricades at the Maharashtra-Gujarat border": #Shivsena MLA Kailas Patil (@PatilKailasB)#NDTVExclusive pic.twitter.com/Xq3npY5dhz
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
Watch: Shiv Sena Workers Outside Uddhav Thackeray's House In Show Of Support Shiv Sena workers were seen outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's house in show of support amid Maharashtra political crisis.
#WATCH | Maharashtra Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni has been called by Assembly Secretariat to seek legal opinion on the current political crisis which includes the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs, as pleaded by Shiv Sena.#MaharashtraPoliticalTurmoil pic.twitter.com/T3ODFokNEq
- ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
I'll always be a Shiv Sainik &never betray Shiv Sena. I had to take this step because of several reasons. Voters of Byculla assembly will understand this. When I was diagnosed with cancer, no senior leader of the party came to see me:Yamini Jadhav,rebel Shiv Sena MLA from Byculla pic.twitter.com/keXWXsbyp5
- ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
NDTV Exclusive: Rebel Eknath Shinde Claims 50 MLAs Back Him, 40 From SenaEknath Shinde, at the centre of the revolt against his boss Uddhav Thackeray, has told NDTV that more than 50 MLAs are backing him."We have the support of 50 MLAs, 40 from Shiv Sena," Mr Shinde, who is camping in BJP-ruled Assam, said.
#MaharashtraCrisis | "When this coalition came about, every single leader and MLA was consulted... Now to say 2.5 years later that this coalition is unholy, you were part of the decision": #Shivsena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19)#NDTVExclusive pic.twitter.com/PxKB48ZKV3
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
"I Ran Away, Some (MLAs) Are Signing Under Pressure": Sena MLA Kailas PatilShiv Sena legislator Kailas Patil, who had accompanied party rebel Eknath Shinde to Surat, today alleged that some people are signing up with the rebel camp under pressure.
🔴 #JustIn | National executive meeting of the #ShivSena to be held at 1pm tomorrow at the Sena Bhawan.#MaharashtraCrisis
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
#MaharashtraCrisis | "They (#EknathShinde camp) can hallucinate to believe they are the real #ShivSena... They need to come out of that hallucination": #Shivsena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19)#NDTVExclusive pic.twitter.com/ryMaJOwybM
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
#MaharashtraCrisis | "I feel there are some MLAs in the #EknathShinde camp that have signed these resolutions under pressure": #Shivsena MLA Kailas Patil (@PatilKailasB)#NDTVExclusive pic.twitter.com/EJllEeGLpz
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
"Left Bungalow, Not My Resolve": Uddhav Thackeray's 5 Top Quotes Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday sought to allay fears surrounding the survival of the Shiv Sena and the state government in a virtual address to the party's district unit chiefs at the Shiv Sena Bhavan at Dadar in central Mumbai
Maharashra Political Crisis: In Uddhav Thackeray vs Rebels, A Legal Clash Now BlazesThe battle for Shiv Sena's control has moved from the streets to the drawing room, where the legal teams of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Sena rebel MLA leader Eknath Shinde are working to make a claim as the rightful owner.
#MaharashtraCrisis | As Both Sides Claim To Be The Real Sena, Here's The Legal Battle https://t.co/AXeK3pjxS8
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
NDTV's Saurabh Gupta reports pic.twitter.com/6OT1sptp7f
"Eknath Shinde's Son An MP, Yet My Son Is Targeted": Uddhav ThackerayUddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra Chief Minister reduced to a minority in his own party by a stunning revolt, said today the Shiv Sena rebels are "trying to break the party" and added: "Why would I feel bad about those who have left?"
"NCP leaders will meet Uddhav Thackeray at 6:30 pm, we will try to keep government stable": Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar
They (Eknath Shinde faction) say that they are Shiv Sena. So Shiv Sena+NCP+Congress together, we have a majority: Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar#MaharashtraCrisis pic.twitter.com/uwS0RNUOk5
- ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
Assam BJP MLA Taranga Gogoi arrives at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati. Rebel Maharashtra MLAs are staying at the hotel. pic.twitter.com/dq36opRY5P
- ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
#MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis | Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande arrives at the Guwahati hotel, where other rebel MLAs have been staying https://t.co/9VJ5UwhJVR pic.twitter.com/T3PB2Nm046
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
#MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis | Aaditya Thackeray meets district chiefs at Sena Bhawan
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
NDTV's Saurabh Gupta reports pic.twitter.com/u4BggChoUS
Independent MLA Mahesh Baldi reached Vidhan Bhavan today and gave a letter to the Deputy Speaker stating that he cannot disqualify the 12 rebel MLAs. He said that in his letter he has cited several judgements of the Supreme Court. The MVA govt doesn't have the number and they can't disqualify any MLA, he said, adding if the MLAs are disqualified, they will also go to the court. Besides, another Independent MLA, Vinod Agarwal, also reached the Vidhan Bhavan today to submit the letter.
Aaditya Thackeray is set to reach Sena Bhavan to meet the Shakha Pramukhs and Zilla Pramukhs of the party.
Rebel Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde has left the Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati with BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das, said sources. He has gone to a temple in the Nilachal Hills, near famous Kamakhya temple, they added.
Shiv Sena has drafted disqualification application against four more rebel MLAs - Sada Sarvankar, Prakash Abitkar, Sanjay Raimulkar, and Ramesh Bornare. This application will be submitted to the Deputy speaker once he arrives at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. Once this plea is accepted, the total number of MLAs facing disqualification will be 16.
Mumbai | We will win on the Floor of the House, we won't give up. They (MLAs) have taken a very wrong step. We also gave them a chance to return to Mumbai. Now, we challenge them to come to Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on rebel MLAs pic.twitter.com/d934TwAe1t
- ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that it does not like any other party in power.
BJP leaders Ashish Shelar and Girish Mahajan are attending a meeting at Devendra Fadnavis's residence over Shiv Sena moving an application for the suspension of 12 rebel MLAs. They are also seeking legal advise on this issue.
No Central minister is giving threats. BJP is not trying to destabilise the government. This is an internal matter of the Shiv Sena. BJP is only in wait & watch position: MoS Railways and BJP leader Raosaheb Patil Danve on Maharashtra political crisis pic.twitter.com/V3z63oJO3m
- ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
#NDTVExclusive | Rebel Eknath Shinde Claims 50 MLAs Back Him, 40 From Shiv Sena https://t.co/ayJQEKL5F4#MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis pic.twitter.com/uDWlx7RhzZ
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 24, 2022
Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande, who was backing Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray till yesterday, has let for Guwahati from Surat. Rebel minister Eknath Shinde, who is camping in Guwahati along with other MLAs supporting him, will hold a key meeting today.
Sharad Pawar is on his way to meet Congress leader YB Chavhan, and Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut will meet the NCP chief at around 11:30 am, said sources. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Deputy Speaker, after going through the Shiv Sena's petition for disqualifying 12 rebel MLAs, may issue notices to the legislators for hearing, they added.
Guwahati | Police detain Sanjay Bhosale, deputy district chief of Shiv Sena from Maharashtra's Satara, who was present near Radisson Blu hotel to urge party MLAs lodged at the hotel to return to Maharashtra
- ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
This is a sensitive area. Action will be taken as per law, say police. pic.twitter.com/eSdsB4oRL5
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut today alleged that Maharashtra alliance leader Sharad Pawar had been threatened by a Union Minister. Do Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah condone such threats by their minister, Mr Raut questioned. "He is the son of Maharashtra. They are threatening him. Modi ji, Amit Shah, have you heard? Your minister is threatening Sharad Pawar - do you support such threats? Maharashtra wants to know," said Mr Raut.
Notices to the rebel MLAs, against whom disqualification pleas have been filed, will be issued today, said sources. Meanwhile, the rebel MLAs are preparing to move Supreme Court once the notices are issued on the disqualification pleas. The Eknath Shinde camp will also move the Election Commission, staking claim for the party and the symbol, said sources.
Eknath Shinde, at the centre of the revolt against his boss Uddhav Thackeray, has told NDTV that more than 50 MLAs are backing him. "We have the support of 50 MLAs, 40 from Shiv Sena," Mr Shinde, who is camping in BJP-ruled Assam, said. Read here
