Maharashtra political turmoil live | We are the Shiv Sena, says rebel MLA

The rebellion against the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by the Sena’s second-in-command Eknath Shinde threatens to capture not only the government but also the party and the Thackerays are now fighting on two fronts.

The number of rebel MLAs stationed in Guwahati however continued to grow on Friday as the Shinde group claimed the support of 50 MLAs, including those of the Sena and Independents.

On Friday evening, Mr. Thackeray held a meeting with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and a party delegation to discuss the possible strategy to save the government. Both allies, the NCP and the Congress, have extended absolute support to Mr. Thackeray. But the meeting of NCP leaders with the CM is said to have debated options to save the government and also the possibility of a resignation from the top post.

According to sources from the rebel camp, Mr. Shinde is now aiming to take over the entire party within the legislature, but his efforts faced a hurdle after Maharashtra Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal approved Ajay Chaudhary as the Sena’s legislative party leader replacing Mr. Shinde.

The Maharashtra council polls for 10 seats resulted in a nail-biting finish with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yet again trumping over tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – after the Rajya Sabha polls – by winning five out of ten seats. In what could be an alarming situation for the State government, three MLAs each from Congress and Shiv Sena cross-voted in a secret ballot held on Monday.

The rebellion by Mr. Shinde is most significant in the outfit’s 56-year-old history as it threatens to bring down the party-led government in Maharashtra, while the other revolts took place when it was not in power in the State.

Here are the latest updates

4.30 pm

‘We are the Shiv Sena’

“We are still in Shiv Sena. We have informed our party president about what how we want to go ahead. We have majority with our group, which means we are the Shiv Sena,” Rebel MLA Deepak Kesarkar says in a virtual press conference from Guwahati.

“The CM is a constitutional head. We request him to stop ongoing violence and fulfill his constitutional duty,” says Mr. Kesarkar.

“We need not merge with any party. In case of separate group, we can sit separately. We are not going to merge with any other party,” he says.

“We have numbers. But it is not safe to return. Law and order is getting problematic and the government is not taking action against those who are instigating the violence,” claims Mr. Kesarkar.

Claiming that the NCP was “destroying“ Shiv Sena, Mr. Kesarkar says the party should align with the BJP to ensure State’s progress. “What is the use of CM post if party is not being benefited,“ he wonders.

3.20 pm

Deputy Speaker seeks rebel MLAs’ response

Maharashtra Assembly deputy speaker has asked 16 rebel MLAs to reply to the notice of disqualification in 48 hours, that is by Monday evening.

The Shinde group has already decided to approach the court if any such notices are issued.

2.45 pm

Shiv Sena National Executive backs Uddhav

Shiv Sena national executive passes resolution, which gives all rights to take decisions in present situation to party president Uddhav Thackeray.

The Executive’s resolution says no other group can use the names Balasaheb Thackeray and Shiv Sena.

It’s third resolution gives the party president Uddhav Thackeray rights to take action against rebels.

2.15 pm

Section 144

Section 144 has been imposed in Mumbai prohibiting mobilising five or more people in view of present political situation in the State.

1:48 pm

Sena workers vandalise rebel MLA’s office in Pune; say every ‘traitor’ will be targeted

Shiv Sena workers on Saturday vandalised an office of rebel Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant, who is currently in Guwahati as part of the Eknath Shinde camp.

A group of Sena workers barged into the office of Bhairavnath Sugar Works, which belongs to Sawant, and damaged the office located in the Katraj area in the morning, party corporator Vishal Dhanawade, who was part of the action, said. -PTI

1:45 pm

His decisions always right, want to see him become CM: People from Eknath Shinde’s native village rally behind him

The residents of Dare village in Maharashtra’s Satara district, the native place of Eknath Shinde, who is at the centre of the ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra, recall the Shiv Sena leader as a “people’s man” and some of them feel that the decisions he had taken in the past later turned out to be right.

The people from the village with around 80 households say they are standing strongly behind Shinde and want to see him become the state chief minister soon. -PTI

10:53 am

Shinde alleges security for family withdrawn by State govt

Eknath Shinde alleges that security for family and relatives of rebel MLAs has been withdrawn by the State government. He writes a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Maharashtra DGP.

June 24

Sena to send notices to rebels from tomorrow, seeks disqualification of four more MLAs

The Shiv Sena has sent the names of four more rebel MLAs to the Maharashtra Assembly deputy speaker for initiating action of disqualification against them, a senior leader said on Friday evening.

The party will also issue notices to 16 MLAs of the rebel faction and ask them to respond by Monday, said Sena MP Arvind Sawant here.

June 24

BJP wants to finish off Shiv Sena as it does not want to share Hindu vote bank: Uddhav
PTI

Striking a defiant note, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday night dared rebel leader Eknath Shinde and the BJP to try and take away the Shiv Sena cadre and those who vote for the party and also accused the BJP of trying to finish off the Sena.

In a virtual address to party corporators, he said the common Shiv Sena workers were his “wealth”, and as long as they were with him, he did not care about criticism by others.