Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday night moved from his official residence in south Mumbai to family home in suburban Bandra, hours after offering to quit the top post amid rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde.
Meanwhile, senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde's name was suggested for the Chief Minister post by Sharad Pawar and the Congress - Uddhav Thackeray's allies in Maharashtra - said the Congress sources, even as his rebellion against his own party has plunged the state into a political crisis. They also said that 17 Shiv Sena MLAs, currently in Guwahati, are ready to come back to Mumbai.
Mr Shinde, along with other MLAs was staying at a hotel in Gujarat's Surat following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls and later took a flight to Guwahati.
The political impasse in Maharashtra entered its second day today with Eknath Shinde reaching Guwahati from Surat along with scores of lawmakers of the party. Mr Shinde has claimed 46 MLAs are with him and asserted that he will not switch parties.
He had demanded that the Sena restore its alliance with the BJP and jointly rule the state, sources said.
Uddhav Thackeray chaired a crucial meeting of his cabinet virtually after he tested positive for Covid. Shiv Sena has now called a meeting of all MLAs at 5 pm at the Chief Minister's residence.
Here are the Highights on Maharashtra Political Crisis:
Shiv Sena leaders like Neelam Gorhe and Chandrakant Khaire were present at 'Varsha' when Thackeray was leaving the official residence.
Party workers raised slogans and showered petals on the CM as he left his official house along with his family members at around 9.50 pm.
A plea in Supreme Court has sought a crackdown on all MLAs who indulge in defection, amid a political crisis in Maharashtra. The plea sought the court's directions to restrain defecting MLAs from contesting elections for five years.
"We will prove majority if a no-confidence motion is tabled," said Sena leader Sanjay Raut.
3 more MLAs arrive in Guwahati on chartered plane, where rebel Eknath Shinde and others are camping
Rebel Eknath Shinde has said Shiv Sena needs to walk out of "unnatural alliance" to save party and party workers, said rebel Eknath Shinde.
The sudden flight by a group of Shiv Sena rebels led by Eknath Shinde has brought the Maharashtra government to the verge of collapse.
The MLAs took a flight late on Monday night to Surat in BJP-ruled Gujarat.
Was the minister unaware of the movement of the MLAs, whose security details are provided by the police?
"Will keep fighting", said Sena's Sanjay Raut in a tweet in Marathi.
Sharad Pawar, along with his party leaders' Jayant Patil and Supriya Sule, is meeting Uddhav Thackeray amid a political crisis in Maharashtra.
"I am very thankful for the support you have lent me in the last 2.5 years. Several people have told me that Uddhav Ji when you speak, it feels like you are one of our family. That is all I need. The chief minister position came to me accidentally, it is not something I yearn for," said Uddhav Thackeray.
"Hindutva is Shiv Sena's identity, we are never going to leave it," said Uddhav Thackeray on Maharashtra crisis.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will go live at 5 pm via Facebook amid a political crisis in Maharashtra
Supporting MLAs of rebel leader Eknath Shinde has sent a letter to governor and deputy speaker of Maharashtra assembly, saying Mr Shinde who was appointed as legislative party leader of Sena in 2019 will continue to be the leader of legislative party.
They also say that Bharat Gogavle has been appointed as chief whip of the party and they are still with Shiv Sena .
Sena rebel Eknath Shinde tweets Uddhav Thackeray's meeting with party MLAs this evening "invalid"
Amid a political crisis in Maharashtra, all MLAs from Sharad Pawar's party have been asked to be present in Mumbai, said sources.
#MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis | "These rebel MLAs have betrayed Shiv Sena voters. These traitors must be taught a lesson": An emotional Shiv Sena women's wing leader in Aurangabad pic.twitter.com/TBGTUvW2X2
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 22, 2022
As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them: Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde
In another sensational twist amid the political storm in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh, who was earlier presumed to have joined rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde, has resurfaced voicing his support for Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Shiv Sena has called a meeting of all MLAs at 5 pm at Uddhav Thackeray's home
The Maharashtra cabinet meeting has begun. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is attending the meet since he has tested positive for Covid
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath told the reporters that Uddhav Thackeray has tested positive and he will chair the cabinet meeting virtually.
The Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra appears to be in trouble after minister and rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde claimed the support of 46 MLAs this morning in an exclusive interview to NDTV after taking a 2.30 am flight to BJP-ruled Assam.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's tweet on "crisis leading to Maharashtra assembly dissolution" today dropped a big hint that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, facing a coup in his party, was ready to dissolve the assembly.
#NewsAlert | Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut hints towards the dissolution of the Legislative Assemblyhttps://t.co/CzAJenlAHG
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 22, 2022
#MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis | "Over a period of time, they (rebel MLAs) were feeling suffocated, and now they have rebelled. Their numbers are enough to form a new government but the way things are trickling down, this could rise to 50 (MLAs)": Alok Vats, BJP pic.twitter.com/EW9FhbunVB
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 22, 2022
Amid the brewing political crisis, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been admitted to a hospital after testing positive for Covid. However, he can be reached via video conferencing
#MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis | "Spoke to Eknath Shinde for an hour in the morning...we're in currently in talks will all the rebel MLAs. They continue to be with Shiv Sena": Party leader Sanjay Raut pic.twitter.com/93vfOphcbb
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 22, 2022
Section 4 of the Tenth Schedule says, "the merger of the original political party of a member of a House shall be deemed to have taken place if, and only if, not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislature party concerned have agreed to such merger"
Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs:
2/3rd means - 37 MLAs.
If Eknath Shinde manages the support of 37 MLAs, his faction can be recognised as a separate party in the assembly, and they cannot be disqualified for defection under the Anti-Defection law.
Regarding split of a political party in regard to the party and symbol:
Election Commission is the adjudicating authority for any disputes within a party. The ECI is the quasi-judicial forum to settle the disputes.
If two factions claim for the party and the symbol, the faction that holds the majority of
1. MLAs, MPs and MLCs
2. Officer-bearers in the top bodies like Rashtriya Karyarini, Pratinidhi Sabha will be recognised as the party and the party symbol will be allotted to that faction.
Maharashtra minister Sandipan Bhumare, who is among the dissidents, said they do not have any complaints against the Sena leadership, but they have been upset with the style of function of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, the other two ruling alliance partners in the state.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who arrived in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam early this morning, claimed he has support of 46 MLAs - 40 from his partyand 6 Independents.
Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath will meet Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar in the afternoon ahead of the Maharashtra cabinet meeting, which is scheduled at 1 pm, sources said
Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who was camping in Gujarat before leaving for Assam with around 33 party MLAs following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls, said that they have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena.