Amid the rapidly changing political dynamics in Maharashtra, the rebel group of Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde held a meeting on Saturday to discuss next course of action. They named their group 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'.
The group's newly-minted spokesperson, MLA Deepak Kesarkar, said they are "not leaving the Shiv Sena as we have two-third of the majority".
The Shiv Sena said it would take action against rebels after they named their party "Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray".
Uddhav Thackeray chaired a national executive meeting in Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai where six resolutions were cleared by attendees, including one authorising him to take action against the rebels.
On Friday, Mr Thackeray convened a meeting of the district chiefs in which he said that the rebel MLAs wanted to "break the party".
He slammed rebel leader Eknath Shinde and also tore into the BJP, saying it wants to "finish off" his outfit and does not want to share its votebank. Sources have told NDTV that Mr Shinde is likely to form a new party named "Shiv Sena Balasaheb".
Meanwhile, Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Mumbai in view of the ongoing political crisis.
Here are the Highlights on the Maharashtra Crisis:
Dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Saturday alleged that the Maharashtra government has withdrawn the security cover from the homes of 16 rebel legislators, including himself, and labelled the action "political vendetta". The Maharashtra government, however, promptly denied the charge.
The legislators said Mr Thackeray and the leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance will be responsible if any harm is caused to their family members.
Sena rebel Eknath Shinde met BJP's Devendra Fadnavis in Vadodara last night and discussed government formation, said sources.
The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra is currently caught in a political turmoil after a rebellion by party leader Eknath Shinde. In a brief address to party workers, Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray said that this is a battle between truth and lies.
Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut, while answering questions on the rebellion in his party, today offered an "advice" to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who is accused of engineering the rift.
In 2019, Ajit Pawar stunned political circles in the state by teaming up with Devendra Fadnavis even as his party was holding meetings with the Shiv Sena and Congress to form a non-BJP government.
The battle for control of the Shiv Sena has come down to who will carry forward the legacy of Bal Thackeray, the party's founder and the father of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
We have not quit Shiv Sena, have two-thirds majority, says Deepak Kesarkar, spokesperson of rebel leader Eknath Shinde's group
The massive tussle in Shiv Sena's ranks is threatening to bring down the Maharashtra government. At the centre of the crisis, rebel camp leader Eknath Shinde has several options for his next move.
The massive tussle in Shiv Sena's ranks is threatening to bring down the Maharashtra government. At the centre of the crisis, rebel camp leader Eknath Khadse has several options for his next move.
The Maharashtra government, however, denied Eknath Shinde's charge that it had pulled security from the homes of rebel Shiv Sena leaders.
The no-confidence motion against deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal was moved by Mahesh Baldi and Vinod Agarwal, both independent MLAs.
Much before the rebellion by a section of Shiv Sena MLAs caught the party-led Maharashtra government off-guard and became the talk of the town, these legislators had accomplished the task of giving their security personnel the slip.
The Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati has turned the venue of a "yoga camp" where nearly 40 Maharashtra MLAs have accepted that the BJP is a superpower, Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said in a scathing editorial today amid a tussle within its ranks
राजकीय आकसापोटी शिवसेनेच्या आमदारांचे संरक्षण मुख्यमंत्री आणि गृहमंत्री यांच्या आदेशाने काढून घेण्यात आले आहे. त्यांच्या व त्यांच्या कुटुंबीयांच्या संरक्षणाची जबाबदारी सरकारची आहे.#MVAisAntiShivsena pic.twitter.com/lX2qjVTxGM
- Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 25, 2022
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, reduced to a minority within the Shiv Sena, the party founded by his father Balasaheb Thackeray, has called a national executive meeting today after rebellion by his minister Eknath Shinde.