A day after the Bharatiya Janata party trumped the MVA government in Legislative Council polls, the state government’s stability was questioned as senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde reportedly left Mumbai along with his group of MLAs to be stationed in Surat in Gujarat. A day after the Bharatiya Janata party trumped the MVA government in Legislative Council polls, the state government’s stability was questioned as senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde reportedly left Mumbai along with his group of MLAs to be stationed in Surat in Gujarat.
In what could be an alarming situation for the state government, three MLAs, each from Congress and Shiv Sena, voted together in a secret ballot held on Monday. The Maharashtra Council’s 10-seat polls resulted in a blood-curdling result, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) again beating the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – after the Rajya Sabha polls – by winning five of the ten seats. Following the results of the elections, Sena leader and MVA minister Eknath Shinde are said to have included 11 party MLAs in what appears to be a rebellion within the saffron party against Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In Monday’s city council poll, 12 Sena MLAs crossed in favor of BJP candidates. Sources in Surat confirmed that more than a dozen Maharashtra lawmakers are housed at the Le Meridien Hotel. “Legislators checked in late last night,” the sources said, adding that there is heavy police deployment in the hotel’s area.
Here are the latest updates
2:29 pm
Kamal Nath, Deputy AICC Observer for Maharashtra
Congress Speaker Sonia Gandhi has appointed Kamal Nath as an AICC observer for Maharashtra in the wake of the political developments. – Sandeep Phukan
13:51
Political climate clear after Maha Council polls, people are tired of MVA government: Union minister Dance.
The political environment in Maharashtra is now clear after the Legislative Council elections, and people are fed up with the government of Maha Vikas Aghadi, Union Minister Raosaheb Danve said on Tuesday.
The BJP leader claimed that there was no control among the MVA members – the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress and that there was complete negligence regarding the people’s problems.
“The Legislative Council polls have shown that the MVA voters’ votes were divided and that the Independents have supported us (BJP). The fifth BJP candidate won, while the Congress candidate was defeated by the other two parties (Sena and NCP),’ said Mr. Danve as he spoke to a Marathi news channel. -PTI
13:19
Maharashtra CM Thackeray meets with party leaders amid Sena minister and some MLAs camp in Gujarat.
On Tuesday, a meeting was underway between Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena top leaders and MLAs, even while State Minister Eknath Shinde camped with some party lawmakers in Gujarat.
CM Thackeray, also the president of Shiv Sena, held a meeting attended by party MLAs Sunil Kadam, Dada Base, Neelam Gorhe, MPs Arvind Sawant and Vinayak Raut, MLC Manisha Kayande, and other leaders. -PTI
12:44 pm
While Maharashtra Sena minister goes incommunicado, BJP says it has no role to play
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said on Tuesday that his party has nothing to do with political developments in the ruling Shiv Sena, whose minister Eknath Shinde has gone incommunicado along with some MLAs. -PTI
12:35 pm
Union Minister Rane openly comes out in support of Eknath Shinde
Union Minister and BJP Rajya Sabha member Narayan Rane openly came forward in support of Eknath Shinde.
“Well done, Eknathji, you made the right decision at the time. Otherwise, you would have ended up like Anand Dighe very quickly,” Mr. Rane tweeted.
Dighe, the leader of Shiv Sena from Thane, had died in 2001.
— Narayan Rane (@MeNarayanRane) June 21, 2022
12:16 pm
Sharad Pawar leaves for Mumbai
According to sources, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has canceled his programs in Delhi and left for Mumbai to hold evening meetings with NCP leaders and CM Uddhav Thackeray. -PTI
12:15 pm
Shiv Sena Likely To Skip Opposition Meeting To Decide On Presidential Candidate
Shiv Sena’s leaders, who are fighting a crisis in Maharashtra’s government, will likely skip the opposition parties’ meeting on Tuesday to finalize their joint presidential election candidate.
Senior party leader Sanjay Raut was scheduled to attend the meeting called by Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress party, but “he canceled his visit to Delhi,” a party official said. -PTI
12:12 pm
“Unrest within the MVA government. Reached a climax.”
“This is Shiv Sena’s internal affair. We accept any proposal presented to us by Mr. Shinde. The unrest within the MVA government had reached a peak. The NCP has dominated it for the past two and a half years. Sanjay Raut is responsible for the state of the Sena today,” Maharashtra BJP President Chandrakant Patil said about the rebellion of Shiv Sena Minister Eknath Shinde.
However, Mr. Patil said it was premature to say how this internal resentment will benefit the BJP or lead to regime change. When Mr. Shinde took shelter in Gujarat, Mr. Patil said it was possible that the Sena leader felt safer there. -Shoumojit Banerjee
11:30
There has been unrest in Shiv Sena for a week, Maharashtra congress leader claims.
Given Maharashtra Shiv Sena’s minister Eknath Shinde going incommunicado and camping in Gujarat along with some party MLAs after the State Legislative Council polls, a Maharashtra congress minister claimed on Tuesday that there had been a week of turmoil in the Sena.
However, state NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal said he does not feel a threat to the Maharashtra Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress. – PTI
11 hours
More than 15 Maharashtra rebel MLAs camp at Le Meridien Hotel
According to sources in Surat, more than 15 Maharashtra rebel MLAs are camping at Le Meridien Hotel in Surat. Lawmakers checked in late last night. Heavy police deployment in tthwalines, where the hotel is located. – Mahesh Langa
Le Meridian Hotel, Surati
10:50 am
Uddhav Thackeray calls for an urgent meeting
CM Uddhav Thackeray has called for an urgent meeting of the party’s MLAs, as Senior Minister Eknath Shinde has reportedly reached Surat to join his MLAs. -Alok Deshpande
10:45 am
Sanjay Raut on the politics of the state
“Efforts are being made to use Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka patterns in Maharashtra. But it won’t work here. You cannot attack Sena as you have done in other states,” said Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.
“We have established contacts with Sena MLAs in Surat and Mr. Shinde. We are confident that plans to destabilize the state government will not succeed. All our MLAs will return. These MLAs have stayed with Sena through bad times and will continue to do so. Please do not leave us now. MLAs want to return, but they have been under surveillance and cannot leave the hotel,” added Mr. Raut.
Gujarat is used to torture Maharashtra. It’s a pity, he continued. -Alok Deshpande
10:35 am
MPCC chief on political instability in the state The BJP’s policy of abusing central agencies and using money to smuggle MLAs has been thoroughly denounced.MPCC chief Nana Patole says tripartite “MVA government not in danger”. Congress will introspect his defeat in MLC polls, Mr. Parole.