Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavi at a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday. (Express photo: Narendra Vaskar)Maharashtra Political Crisis Live Updates: The BJP is preparing to ensure that its Colaba MLA Rahul Narvekar is chosen as Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly in the election to be held on Sunday — and official recognition is granted to the rebel Shiv Sena group led by Shinde ahead of the trust vote to be held a day later. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, meanwhile, has fielded Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday expelled Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the party for indulging in “anti-party activities”. “In exercise of powers vested in me as Shiv Sena party president, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation,” Thackeray wrote in a letter addressed to the Maharashtra CM, who had led a faction of rebel Sena MLAs.
In a webcast yesterday, Thackeray said that if Union Home Minister Amit Shah had stuck to the original deal of making a Sena leader CM for 2.5 years there would have been no MVA and a BJP leader would have been CM today. “About what happened yesterday, I had told Amit Shah earlier as well that there should be a Shiv Sena CM for 2.5 years (during Shiv Sena-BJP alliance). Had they done this earlier, there would’ve been no Maha Vikas Aghadi,” he said.
Even though former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis played a key role in hunting down over two-thirds of Sena cubs from the Thackeray den, he may not be striking happy poses in the aftermath. (PTI Photo)
If Uddhav Thackeray does not withdraw his decision of removing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the position of 'Shiv Sena leader', then the latter would challenge the move legally, a rebel Sena MLA said on Saturday.
Shiv Sena president and former chief minister Thackeray on Friday removed Shinde from the post of 'Shiv Sena leader', accusing him of indulging in "anti-party activities". --PTI
Speaking about the recent expulsion of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde from the Shiv Sena, party leader Deepak Kesarkar said: "Workers are signing a Rs 100 affidavit that they won't leave Shiv Sena. Shiv Bandhan (tied when a person joins Shiv Sena) is the 'bandhan' of love and it’s still with us. This is just to misguide the workers."
Balasaheb Thorat, Congress leader on Maharashtra Speaker's election: "We have filed the nomination of Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi. Congress had the first claim but we sat down with Shiv Sena and NCP and this decision was taken together."
The Maha Vikas Aghadi has fielded Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi against BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar for the Maharashtra Assembly's Speaker post, ANI reported.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who returned to Goa at about 3.30 am on Saturday, will hold a meeting with his faction of Shiv Sena MLAs at about 11 am. The MLAs and Shinde’s supporters, who have been lodged at the Taj Resort and Convention Centre in Panaji’s Dona Paula since Wednesday, are set to return to Mumbai on Saturday afternoon along with Shinde.
Shinde had said that since a session of the Assembly had been convened by the Governor of Maharashtra on July 3 and 4, his comrades would be leaving for Mumbai on Saturday. After swearing in as Chief Minister on Thursday, he returned to Goa in the early hours of the day on Friday as well as Saturday. Read more.
The BJP is preparing to ensure that its Colaba MLA Rahul Narvekar is chosen as Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly in the election to be held on Sunday — and official recognition is granted to the rebel Shiv Sena group led by Eknath Shinde ahead of the trust vote to be held a day later.
Officials confirmed that Narvekar filed nomination papers for the Speaker’s post on Friday even as the special two-day session of the Assembly was convened from July 3 instead of July 2 as slotted earlier. The dates were changed to provide time for members to reach Mumbai, sources said, adding that the rebel Sena MLAs are set to reach the city by Saturday. The Shiv Sena is likely to file its candidate’s nomination on Saturday. Read more.
Extending his best wishes to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis for being sworn in as deputy chief minister of the state, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray praised him for accepting the junior role in the government despite being a two-time CM.
After the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, there is now uncertainty over the future of the MVA – a coalition of three parties, the Uddhav-led Sena, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Congress. The key question that hangs over the MVA’s fate is, whether the triad coalition could work in electoral politics if it had only limited success in government that fell after completing barely 31 months.
In a government setting with defined power structures, it is easier to engage with allies while sharing power. But when the same model is extended to electoral politics with its pulls and pressures, it is difficult to succeed, with the allies vying with each other to protect their turfs and expand their footprints, which is reflected in their respective bids to stake claims over higher share of seats in various elections including civic polls or Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Read more.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday expelled Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the party for indulging in “anti-party activities”. “In exercise of powers vested in me as Shiv Sena party president, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation,” Thackeray wrote in a letter addressed to the Maharashtra CM, who had led a faction of rebel Sena MLAs.
