Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde (Express/File)Maharashtra News Live Updates, June 21, 2022: With Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde leading at least 12 MLAs to the BJP-ruled Gujarat Tuesday morning, NCP leader Sharad Pawar said an attempt is being made to pull down the government in Maharashtra and its happening for the third time. “Eknath Shinde never told us about his CM ambitions,” Pawar said, adding, “I am sure Uddhav Thackeray will handle situation”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called Shinde a “true Shiv Sainik”, expressing confidence that he will return without any conditions. According to sources, Shinde along with the MLAs are at Surat’s Le Meridien hotel, where security has been beefed up with cops checking every car at the entrance since their arrival early Tuesday morning. A Shiv Sena leader told The Indian Express that Shinde “misguided” the MLAs and some of them were in touch with the party and wanted to return. Sources have also said that Maharashtra’s Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has flown to Delhi.
Congress, too, is assessing the situation, PWD minister Ashok Chavan said. “A lot of MLAs have left Mumbai and we are assessing who all are in the city and calling a meeting,” he said, adding that Congress leaders and ministers have assembled at CLP (Congress Legislature Party) leader Balasaheb Thorat’s house.
Another party leader told The Indian Express that around 20 Sena MLAs, including four state ministers, are “not reachable” at the moment. CM Uddhav Thackeray has convened a meeting of all party leaders and MLAs at noon. This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dealt a major blow to the MVA Monday, winning the state Legislative Council polls with 133 votes, including 27 votes from other parties and Independents.
The agency wants to question Parab in connection with a money laundering case linked to Sai Resort at the hill station of Dapoli. (File)
Amid the political developments in Maharashtra, with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde along with supporting MLAs camping in BJP-ruled Gujarat, putting the MVA government's rule in danger, the Congress party has deputed senior party leader Kamal Nath as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer for the state.
“Eknath Shinde never told us about his CM ambitions,” NCP leader Sharad Pawar said, adding, “I am sure Uddhav Thackeray will handle situation."
He stated that he hasn't spoken to Shinde, and that it was Shiv Sena's internal matter. When asked what will happen if the MVA government falls, the NCP leader said, "No question of going with BJP."
With Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde leading at least 12 MLAs to the BJP-ruled Gujarat Tuesday morning, NCP leader Sharad Pawar said an attempt is being made to pull down the government in Maharashtra and its happening for the third time.
On Maharashtra Legislative Council poll results, Pawar said, "Cross voting happens in such polls, nothing new in that. We will find a solution."
Shiv Sena MLA from Akola Balapur Nitin Deshmukh was admitted to the New Civil Hospital in Surat, Gujarat after his health deteriorated Tuesday morning. -- ENS Gujarat inputs
With senior Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Cabinet minister Eknath Shinde decamping to Surat in Gujarat with several party’s MLAs, alarm bells started ringing in the Maha Vikas Aghadi ruling coalition on Tuesday. Sources initially said at least 12 MLAs were with Shinde in a hotel in Surat but, according to insiders, the number may be around 20.
The anti-defection law mandates that if two-thirds of the strength of a party agrees to a “merger”, they will not face disqualification proceedings. At present, the Sena’s current strength in the Assembly is 55 MLAs. If the rebels want to merge with BJP, 37 MLAs (two-thirds of 55) have to come together to ensure they do not face disqualification proceedings under the defection law.
The BJP, which has been working to exploit the unrest in the ruling coalition, can raise the demand for a floor test in the Assembly in such a scenario. Read our analysis here
Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering probe being conducted by the agency, sources said.
The ED had summoned Parab for questioning in the money laundering probe linked to alleged violation of coastal regulation zone provisions in the construction of a resort in Dapoli beach area of Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district. On Tuesday, Parab reached the ED's office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai at 11.20 am, the sources said.
He was earlier summoned on June 15, but skipped the deposition then citing official work. (PTI)
From working in a beer brewery in Thane and driving an autorickshaw to make ends meet, to becoming the most powerful leader in the present Shiv Sena after the Thackerays, Eknath Shinde, 58, looked set on Tuesday to join the ranks of leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Narayan Rane who had earlier managed to engineer a split in the Sena.
Worryingly for the Thackerays, Shinde has the loyalty of many party MLAs for being accessible to MLAs – especially when an appointment at Matoshree can be tough – and being generous with economic largesse.
The Shinde family originally belongs to Satara district and moved to Thane in the ’70s when Shinde was just a child. His start was with odd jobs, at places such as a beer brewery and fishery, apart from his stint as an autorickshaw driver, before he began his association with the Shiv Sena in the ’80s. Read more
“It is true that some of the MLAs are not in Mumbai and some of them were not reachable since night. But contact has been established with a few MLAs who went out of the city due to a misunderstanding. Eknath Shinde is also out of the city and he has also been contacted,” Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said while speaking to reporters.
“I or the Shiv Sena do not find any merit in the kind of picture which is being created right now that there will be an earthquake (in Maharashtra politics),” the Sena MP said, adding that the current “suspicious atmosphere will be cleared soon. Now we are going to Varsha (the chief minister’s official residence) for a meeting with CM Uddhav Thackeray.” All MVA leaders are in touch with each other, he revealed. Read more
Speaking about Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis' visit to Delhi, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said that he had gone to distribute sweets to party leaders after BJP's win in the MLC polls.
"It is our tradition that we need to go to our national leaders with sweets after winning an election. Devendra Fadnavis has gone to distribute sweets among our party leaders in Delhi," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
Security personnel were seen outside Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde's residence in Thane. The leader is said to have gone to Surat, Gujarat, along with around 20 MLAs.
Express Photos
Amid speculations of Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde's defection, Union Minister Narayan Rane Tuesday tweeted in support of his decision.
"Well done Eknath ji you have have made the right decision at the right time or else you would have suffered the same fate as Anand Dighe," he tweeted. Dighe was Shinde's mentor, who passed away in 2001.
PWD Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that party leaders and ministers have assembled at the house of CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat and are assessing the situation.
"A lot of MLAs have left Mumbai and we are assessing who all are in Mumbai and calling a meeting," said Chavan.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole hit out at the BJP in wake of the MLC polls results. "BJP misuses its power, they are taking the Indian democracy towards untruthfulness. I am sure the truth will win," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
"I have called a meeting of all Maharashtra Congress leaders today (Tuesday)," he added.
Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called Eknath Shinde a "true Shiv Sainik", expressing confidence that he "will return without any conditions."
At a press conference earlier, Raut expressed similar confidence in Sena MLAs who are said to be in Surat returning to the party.
Stating that the party was in touch with our MLAs who are in Surat, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, "We are discussing the situation with Uddhav Thackeray Ji and Pawar Sahib. Those working with the thought that they are kingmakers will be unsuccessful."
"At the time of the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, a similar effort was made by the BJP, but that experiment was not successful. So now, the same effort is being made again," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
With Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde leading at least 12 MLAs to the BJP-ruled Gujarat Tuesday morning, party leader Sanjay Raut said that “efforts are being made to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance (MVA) government”. He added, however, “BJP has to remember that Maharashtra is very different from Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh.”
Confirming that some MLAs are unreachable, Raut expressed confidence that the party MLAs “will return and everything will be fine”.
Security has been tightened at Surat's Le Meridien hotel after Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde along with supporting party MLAs arrived early Tuesday morning, sources said. -- inputs from ENS Gujarat
(Express Photos by Hanif Malek)
According to sources, Shiv Sena leader Shinde along with the supporting MLAs are at Surat’s Le Meridien hotel, where security has been beefed up with cops checking every car at the entrance since their arrival early Tuesday morning.
Party sources have also said that Maharashtra’s Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has flown to Delhi. -- inputs from ENS Gujarat
The defeat of the Congress party’s second candidate at the hands of the BJP, which won five of 10 Legislative Council seats, has caused consternation in the MVA alliance amid fears that cross voting led to the defeat of the Congress candidate. AICC secretary-in-charge of Maharashtra H K Patil said, “The whole MVA needs to introspect this very seriously. We will inquire on why we didn’t get the required votes. We have to sit together. We need to analyse things.” Read more
A party leader told The Indian Express that at least 20 Shiv Sena MLAs, including four state ministers, are “not reachable” at the moment. CM Uddhav Thackeray has convened a meeting of all party leaders and MLAs at noon.