Shiv Sena MLAs, who have rebelled against the party bringing a crisis to the government in Maharashtra, are being taken to Assam and expected to reach Guwahati early Wednesday, sources said.
Amid a political turmoil in his state, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray met several Maharashtra leaders in back-to-back meetings. In the meeting with Shiv Sena leaders, he said he was confident that rebel minister Eknath Shinde will return to the party soon.
Uddhav Thackeray's aides met with Eknath Shinde. During the meeting that lasted for nearly two hours, Eknath Shinde spoke to Mr Thackeray over the phone, as per sources. The senior leader demanded a-Shiv Sena alliance government in the state during the ten-minute phone call, they said.
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Shiv Sena strongman Eknath Shinde plunged the ruling alliance in the state into a political crisis as he rebelled against his party and landed in a Surat hotel in Gujarat - ruled by the BJP - along with some Sena MLAs, putting a huge question mark on the stability of the two-and-a-half-years old MVA dispensation.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party swiftly moved against Mr Shinde (58), an MLA from Thane district, and removed him as the party's group leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Here are the Highlights on Maharashtra Political Crisis:
Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, with 33 party MLAs and seven independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat left Surat International Airport for Assam's Guwahati on wee hours of Wednesday.
Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde, who had been camping out in Surat with 21 MLAs, has reached the Gujarat airport. They were being flown out to Assam
Uddhav Thackeray told Shiv Sena leaders he believed rebel Eknath Shinde will return to party, said sources.
Sharad Pawar is meeting leaders of his party at his residence amid Maharashtra political crisis. Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil reached Mr Pawar's home after meeting with Uddhav Thackeray.
Uddhav Thackeray's meeting with MVA leaders end. Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil have reached Silver Oak bungalow (Sharad Pawar's bungalow). Congress leaders have reached Royal stone bungalow (Maharashtra Minister Balasaheb Thorat's bungalow).
Sharad Pawar is expected to come to Uddhav Thackeray's bungalow in sometime
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan today admitted that the BJP indeed has the numbers it is claiming -- 134 in a house of 287 -- as crisis hit Maharashtra's ruling alliance, in which his party is a member. The whole operation, Mr Chavan told NDTV, "was orchestrated from Delhi" and a "huge amounts of money have changed hands".
Union minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that he lacked the support of sufficient MLAs in the Assembly in view of the revolt by Sena minister Eknath Shinde who is camping in Surat with some MLAs of his party.
"Because of Mr Shinde's move, Uddhav Thackeray (who heads Shiv Sena) does not have the support of sufficient MLAs in the Legislative Assembly. He should tender his resignation," Rane demanded.
Mr Rane is the first Union minister and BJP leader to take a public stand over the issue.
So far, several BJP leaders have been trading cautiously over Eknath Shinde's decision to go incommunicado and camp in Surat with MLAs.
"Shinde was not treated with respect in Shiv Sena by party chief Uddhav Thackeray. Thackeray's son and cabinet minister Aaditya and his cousin brother Varun Sardesai were also interfering in the Shinde-controlled Urban Development department. Hence, it is the right decision for him to leave Sena," Rane said.
Shiv Sena leader Milind Narvekar met Eknath Shinde and other rebel party MLAs camped in Gujarat's Surat on Tuesday. During the meeting that lasted for nearly two hours, Milind Narvekar made Eknath Shinde speak to Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray over the phone, as per sources.
"Two of our people went there (Surat). Talks happened with Eknath Shinde. He is our old friend...Everyone knows why we left BJP and Eknath Shinde is also a witness to that," said Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on the political situation in Maharashtra
Amid a political row in Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde's residence, not very far from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's home, wore a deserted look.
After Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde went incommunicado triggering a crisis in the ruling Shiv Sena, the Congress, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, on Tuesday said all its 44 MLAs were in touch with Legislature Party leader and state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat.
The party statement also refuted reports that Thorat had quit as CLP leader terming them "mischievous and false.
Amid the ongoing political developments in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena on Tuesday sacked Eknath Shinde as the party's chief whip after he reportedly moved to a Surat hotel in Gujarat, along with 21 other MLAs.
Maharashtra Political Crisis: 3 Shiv Sena MLAs, close to rebel Eknath Shinde, meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.
Maharashtra Congress said, "All Congress MLAs are in touch with State President Nana Patole and Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat and whatever news is there regarding the MLAs being not reachable is completely baseless. The news related to the resignation of Balasaheb Thorat from the post of Congress Legislature Party leader is also wrong as he is keeping an eye on the whole situation from his residence."
Amid unrest in the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the Congress on Tuesday deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath as AICC observer in the state.
The decision came soon after reports that some Shiv Sena MLAs led by dissident leader Eknath Shinde are camping in Gujarat and could pose a threat to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
"The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," said an official communication from the Congress.
The Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra has been plunged into turmoil with 22 MLAs, led by sulking Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde moving to BJP-ruled Gujarat.
The total strength of Maharashtra Assembly is 288. With one legislator dead, the number is down to 287. This means the majority mark in the Assembly, in the event of a trust vote, is now 144.
The Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra has been plunged into turmoil with 22 MLAs, led by sulking Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde moving to BJP-ruled Gujarat.
This comes hours after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and the BJP won five seats each in the Legislative Council elections.
The total strength of Maharashtra Assembly is 288. With one legislator dead, the number is down to 287. This means the majority mark in the Assembly, in the event of a trust vote, is now 144.
The MVA government of the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress currently has 152 legislators.
Ask something sensible, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar scoffed at a reporter when asked if his party is open to going with the BJP in case the Maharashtra government falls due to the ongoing political crisis in the state.
Mr Pawar on Tuesday alleged that a third attempt is being made to pull down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra but expressed confidence that Chief Minister Udhhav Thackeray will be able to handle the situation.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday said there was no threat to the state Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and his party leaders would discuss the current political developments in the state during a meeting in Mumbai.
Nana Patole's comments came in the wake of Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde along with some Sena MLAs apparently camping in Gujarat's Surat city, a day after the Sena-led MVA, which also comprises the NCP and Congress, suffered a setback in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls by losing one out of the six seats it contested.
Watch LIVE | NCP Chief Sharad Pawar addresses the media amid Maharashtra political crisis https://t.co/3AwQrRfDr7
- NDTV (@ndtv) June 21, 2022The Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra appears to be in trouble after minister and Sena leader Eknath Shinde reportedly moved to a hotel in Surat in BJP-ruled Gujarat with 21other party MLAs.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday said his party has got nothing to do with political developments in the ruling Shiv Sena, whose minister Eknath Shinde has gone incommunicado along with some MLAs.
As a crisis towered above the Maharashtra landscape today, the Shiv Sena claimed that the developments are a blip that will be resolved before the day is over.
Sanjay Raut accused the BJP of trying to weaken Sena in Maharashtra. "Gujarat leaders have kept them in Surat. We spoke to several of them who want to come back but aren't being allowed to. It's a siege," he said.
Mr Shinde has reportedly been upset with the party for some time now after being deliberately sidelined. He enjoys a good relationship with all parties.
Maharashtra Minister and top Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has reportedly moved to a hotel in Gujarat's Surat with 13 other party MLAs, setting off alarm bells in the Uddhav Thackeray government.
