The Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP -- the alliiance partners of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra -- have suggested that rebel Eknath Shinde be named as Chief Minister as a way out of the huge political crisis that has engulfed the state, sources said.
Eknath Shinde, who is leading the revolt, has claimed that the ruling coalition was beneficial only to alliance partners, while ordinary Shiv Sainiks have suffered the most in the last two-and-a-half years of the coalition's rule. "As of now, we are not holding any talks with Shiv Sena or the Chief Minister. We have not decided on the future course of action," Mr Shinde had said.
With the last two-and-a-half years of the coalition's existence at stake, Mr Thackeray on Wednesday mentioned his father and party founder Balasaheb Thackeray as he made an emotional address to rebels.
"If my own people don't want me as Chief Minister, he should walk up to me and say so... I'm ready to resign... I am Balasaheb's son, I am not after a post," Uddhav Thackeray -- who tested positive for Covid -- said in a Facebook address this evening.
The Shiv Sena, in its mouthpiece, "Saamana", said that the rebels MLAs were elected on Shiv Sena tickets, warning "if the Shiv Sainiks decide, then all will be the former forever".
The rebel MLAs, camping in BJP-ruled Assam, shortly after Mr Thackeray's address. The meeting lasted about 50 minutes. Mr Shinde has claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs. "Right now we have 46 MLAs with us, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. This number will rise in the time to come. As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," Mr Shinde was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Shinde camp currently has 33 MLAs (out of the party's 55 MLAs) on its side. Five Independent MLAs are with Mr Shinde too. The ruling alliance has claimed that 17 Sena MLAs are ready to come back to Mumbai.
The BJP, meanwhile, maintained that the political crisis in Maharashtra was Shiv Sena's internal matter and that the party is not staking claim to form a government in the state. "We haven't spoken to Eknath Shinde. This is Shiv Sena's internal matter. BJP has nothing to do with this. We're not staking claim to form the government," Union Minister Raosaheb Patil Danve, who met party leader Devendra Fadnavis, told the media.
The journey from his official residence at Malabar Hills to his home 'Matoshree' in Bandra - which usually takes 15-20 minutes - took almost one hour as Mr Thackeray's entourage negotiated hundreds of Shiv Sainiks who had gathered at the 15-km stretch braving the Mumbai rain.
Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut, however, has asserted that Mr Thackeray, who also heads the Shiv Sena, will not resign, and maintained the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will prove its majority in the Assembly if required.
Sharad Pawar Rubbished Rahul Gandhi's Attack On Adani: BJP's Amit Malviya Looting Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde Takes On Rahul Gandhi Over Dharavi Project From Auto Rickshaw Driver To Maharashtra Chief Minister: The Eknath Shinde Story AR Rahman, Wife Saira Announce Separation After 29 Years Of Marriage "Exposed": BJP Alleges Bitcoin Scam In Maharashtra Poll, Supriya Sule Reacts Emergency Landing, Fliers Stuck For 3 Days In Phuket; Air India Responds Uttarakhand Polls: 75% Booths Webcast, GPS Tracking For Election Vehicles All About Sean Duffy, Donald Trump's 2nd Cabinet Pick From Fox News Inside Trump's Cabinet: Appointments And Front-Runners Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.