The rebel Shiv Sena group led by Eknath Shinde is preparing to withdraw support to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ruling alliance in Maharashtra. A letter to the Governor will be submitted by the group. Besides withdrawing the support, the Shinde faction is also likely to claim right over the party based on its majority.
The political activities in Mumbai and Guwahati have gained pace, following the order of the Supreme Court. The apex court has granted relief to the 16 MLAs, who were served disqualification notice by the Deputy Speaker of legislative Assembly Narhari Zirwal. The Court has also called the Deputy Speaker’s action illegal and has scheduled the next hearing on July 11. Action against the legislators cannot be taken by the Deputy Speaker till this date.
As majority of Shiv Sena legislators are with Shinde, he is claiming rights over the party. Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is in minority. The collapse of the MVA Government is inevitable, even though the party Spokesperson Sanjay Raut and Thackeray himself claiming that they will prove majority on the floor of the Assembly.
In view of the decision of the Supreme Court, the Shinde faction has received protection till July 11. The legal experts had already stated that the notice of disqualification on the ground of violating the party whip during election is not legal. The issue is an internal matter of the party and action can be taken only at party level. The Court also stated that the notice of disqualification by the Deputy Speaker is not tenable in the court of law. Eknath Shinde and others defected during polling for ten Legislative Council seats on June 20.
The members supporting Shinde are in Guwahati and are likely to have a coalition with Bharatiya Janata Party to claim formation of government in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile Bharatiya Janata Party has directed all its legislators to assemble in Mumbai or not to go out of the state and remain reachable.
An important Core Committee meeting of BJP has been convened at the Mumbai residence of Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis. Shinde had appealed to Thackeray to form a government with BJP and Fadnavis as CM.
