In the latest development in Maharashtra political crisis, Shiv Sena on Wednesday removed Eknath Shinde as the leader of the legislative party group.
This comes after Shinde and some MLAs of his party have gone incommunicado and camping in Surat, a day after suspected cross-voting in MLC polls, putting a question mark on the stability of the MVA dispensation.
The decision of his removal was taken during a meeting chaired by Sena supremo and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at his official residence Varsha in Mumbai.
The party has replaced Shinde with Sewri MLA Ajay Chaudhary as the Legislative party leader.
Thackeray also sent a strong signal to Shinde saying that treachery and rebellion will not be tolerated in Shiv Sena.
Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde said he will never "cheat for power" and abandon the teachings of Bal Thackeray.
"We are staunch Shiv Sainiks of Balasaheb who gave us lessons on Hindutva. We will never cheat for power and will never abandon the teachings of Balasaheb and Anand Dighe for power," Shinde tweeted in Marathi, his first reaction on the ongoing political crisis triggered by him in the state.
Shinde and a few MLAs of the ruling Shiv Sena have gone incommunicado and are camping in Surat, a move putting a question mark on the stability of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation also comprising NCP and Congress.
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