Uddhav Thackeray To Quit? Sena Crisis Expands: 10 Points

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. Those who do not attend may have their membership cancelled, the party warned.

"The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading towards the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut tweeted in Marathi after Eknath Shinde, in an exclusive interview to NDTV this morning, claimed the support of 40 Sena MLAs and six Independents. Mr Raut had earlier downplayed the threat of the impending coup in his party.

Maharashtra BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is holding a meeting with his party leaders at his Mumbai residence to discuss Constitutional provisions and the arithmetic required to stake a claim to form a government, sources said. He was in Delhi yesterday to meet the party's high command.

Earlier, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was admitted to a Mumbai hospital this morning with coronavirus symptoms. The governor said that anyone who wanted to contact him could do so via video conferencing.

Eknath Shinde needs the support of 37 MLAs - a two-third majority in his party - to split the party without facing disqualification under the anti-defection law.

Mr Shinde said he is not breaking away from Shiv Sena and he wants to carry forward Sena founder Balasaheb Thackery's Hindutva ideology. "We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We believe in Hindutva," he said.

Hours after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to the rebel leader for 10 minutes last evening, the MLAs made a post-midnight dash to the airport and flew to another BJP-ruled state, Assam.

On their arrival in Guwahati, the Sena rebels were welcomed by BJP leaders and taken to a five-star hotel where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had been seen earlier. "Fifty rooms" were prepped, said sources, hinting at more Sena MLAs arriving today.

The Sena's massive crisis was reportedly triggered by a reprimand from Mr Thackeray to Mr Shinde on Monday night after Sena MLAs cross-voted for the BJP in key elections. Their action meant that the BJP won five of a total of 10 seats (its own numbers entitled the party to four seats; the cross-voting allowed a bonus seat).

To displace Mr Thackeray and win a vote of confidence - should it come to that - the BJP needs 37 MLAs apart from its own 106. Mr Shinde claims he has enough MLAs with him to enable the coup.