Maharashtra politics: Important TOI stories you should not miss

NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that Union Minister is threatening Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.
The Shiv Sena leader further said that this is a matter of concern and the Home Minister and PM Modi should pay attention to this.
Maharashtra political crisis: Live updates
Raut's statement came after Union minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane posted a series of tweets last evening alleging that Pawar was threatening rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and if anything happened to them in the state Assembly, there will be consequences.
Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde is appearing to be holding a tight grip on the Shiv Sena, as the strength of MLAs supporting him is expected to cross 50 as more legislators are likely to reach Guwahati on Friday thus further deepening the political crisis in Maharashtra.

The situation for Thackeray continues to become grimmer with his close aide switching sides and the chief minister himself falling short of numbers.
It seems that the legacy of Bal Thackeray, who founded Shiv Sena, has slipped from the hands of Uddhav Thackeray with the rebellion of Eknath Shinde as he claims of being a true Shivsainik, the battle of who holds the true legacy of Balasaheb has started.
The political crisis in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra erupted after party legislators joined a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde who is staying at a hotel in Guwahati. Shinde camp has claimed the support of 46 MLAs, which includes 37 Shiv Sena MLAs and nine independents. The rebel MLAs who are at a hotel in Guwahati since June 20, authorised Shinde on June 23 to decide on a further course of action.

Important TOI stories you should not miss-
42 MLAs and counting, claims Eknath Shinde, reveals BJP hand
With the arrival of two more Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat and with the blessings of “a big national party,” rebel leader Eknath Shinde and his men have positioned themselves to take their own decision, either to stake claim as ‘real Sena’ or form a new group or merge with BJP, without attracting anti-defection penalties. A member of the legislative council also accompanied them.
Shiv Sena legislators' fear of losing seats to MVA partners feeding Eknath Shinde's revolt
One of the key reasons behind the revolt in the Shiv Sena is the fear among its legislators that they would lose ground to alliance partners NCP and Congress if the Maha Vikas Aghadi continues, senior Sena elected members told TOI on Thursday.
MLA of Shiv Sena’s most prestigious seat joins rebel Shinde’s camp
Three more Shiv Sena MLAs joined the rebel camp in Guwahati on Wednesday night adding to the numbers required by the Eknath Shinde faction to form a separate unit or assert its will over the party. Among the three was Mahim MLA Sada Sarvankar, whose defection may be a sign of how deep the resentment runs against the Sena leadership. Sarvankar is an MLA from the prestigious Mahim constituency, which is the seat of Shiv Sena Bhavan and Shivaji Park where the Sena was founded.

Amid Shiv Sena crisis, party's key strategist Anil Parab spends six hours in ED office in Mumbai
As the turmoil in the state government continued on Thursday, Shiv Sena strategist Anil Parab was once again unavailable for the party as he was questioned for six hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). It was Parab's third straight day spent answering questions posed by officials at the zonal office of the central agency in Ballard Estate. Parab was questioned in a money laundering case pertaining to a resort in Dapoli.
Rise of Subaltern Sena: Neglect of rural MLAs cost party dear
Eknath Shinde’s mutiny has sparked a debate on whether Matoshree’s obsession for Mumbai and the cash-rich BMC has been the Shiv Sena’s undoing, given the high number of rural MLAs who have deserted it. By giving a cold shoulder to rural and mofussil Maharashtra, Sena has lost an opportunity to script its own brand of subaltern politics.

Posters on Eknath Shinde, but sans Uddhav Thackeray photo, plaster Thane
As the rebellion in the Shiv Sena balloons, support to its architect, Eknath Shinde, is growing rapidly in his stronghold Thane. With Shinde being projected as the possible face of Sena, local functionaries are openly expressing their acceptance of his revolt through posters, banners and placards. It started on Wednesday, but many remained silent, unsure of their leanings. All misgivings seemed to have been swept aside on Thursday, with an outpouring of support.
Congressmen urge CM Uddhav Thackeray to seek floor test, wrest advantage from rebels
Senior Congressmen on Wednesday urged chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to seek a special session of the state legislature for a floor test in view of the fluid political situation created by the revolt in the Shiv Sena.
MVA will win vote of confidence, say Sharad Pawar & Congress, stand with CM Uddhav Thackeray
Three days after Eknath Shinde raised the banner of revolt in Shiv Sena, both NCP and Congress said they remained firmly with CM Uddhav Thackeray in the hour of crisis. In a slight hardening of stand against the rebels, Sharad Pawar said they would have to return to Mumbai one day and reminded that Sena rebels have had to bite the dust in subsequent elections.
Shiv Sena MPs too throw weight behind Eknath Shinde
Sena insiders claimed that at least a dozen of the 19 Sena MPs have thrown their weight behind Eknath Shinde, reports Ranjan Dasgupta. "None of these party MPs have overtly said anything to suggest that they are backing Shinde. But covertly, they are backing Shinde since their political future would be more secure if there is alliance between BJP and the Shinde faction," said a Sena leader.

MLA Sanjay Shirsat says CM Uddhav Thackeray inaccessible, slams coterie
A day after CM Uddhav Thackeray's emotional appeal to try and stem the revolt in the Shiv Sena, rebel leader Eknath Shinde shared a strongly-worded letter written by Aurangabad MLA Sanjay Shirsat which said that Thackeray was unavailable and flanked by a coterie that cut off access to him. The letter also alleged Thackeray that had stopped Sena MLAs from accompanying environment minister Aaditya Thackeray to Ayodhya and that it was Sena MLAs who persuaded Shinde to revolt.
Shiv Sena ready to leave MVA: Sanjay Raut; allies react cautiously
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut set the cat among the pigeons on Thursday by saying that the party was willing to exit the MVA government but the rebel faction needed to return to Mumbai within 24 hours and move this proposal. The statement, virtually conceding the key demand of the rebel faction, set off speculation about whether it was seriously meant or if it was an offer meant to merely lure the rebels back.
Amid flux, Guwahati tally crosses anti-defection mark
While many say that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde's uprising was in the works for the last few weeks if not months, the cross voting by MLAs during the Rajya Sabha and MLC polls precipitated the developments that took the rebels to Surat and then Guwahati.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole claims Ajit Pawar bias in fund allocation
State Congress president Nana Patole on Thursday blamed deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for stepmotherly treatment to Congress and Shiv Sena legislators over allocation of funds. "On several occasions, it was brought to our notice by our legislators that Pawar is resorting to discrimination while allocating funds to them for the developmental work in their constituency," Patole said.
Eknath Shinde our leader, 36 rebel MLAs tell dy Speaker; Shiv Sena can quit MVA: Sanjay Raut
The MVA government led by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray stayed shaky on Thursday as the ranks of the dissidents swelled and 37 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs camping in Guwahati sent a letter to Maharashtra assembly's deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal stating Eknath Shinde will remain their group leader in legislature. Earlier in the day, Zirwal had said he had approved appointment of Ajay Chaudhary as group leader of the Shiv Sena legislature party, replacing Shinde.
Uddhav offers to quit, Shinde says Sena must leave MVA immediately
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray appeared to be on the brink as the day drew to a close. Shiv Sena’s rebel faction led by urban development minister Eknath Shinde may well command the support of the bulk of the party’s MLAs.
Sena, Hindutva can’t be separated: Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday made an emotional appeal to the rebel faction, saying he was willing to step down from both the posts of CM and Sena chief but countered its claims on the party’s Hindutva line.

Won't quit Sena or form new outfit, say rebels; Shinde assures them they won't have to
The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and ministers who have joined the Eknath Shinde camp have told the Thane strongman that they will neither quit the party nor form a separate outfit. Shinde assured them that they would not have to leave the party and he would "eventually convince" 'saheb' (party chief Uddhav Thackeray) about their stand, some of the MLAs told TOI from Guwahati.