This may signal a major crisis for the ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party.
Mumbai: Eknath Shinde, a Maharashtra minister and key Shiv Sena politician, is said to have moved to a hotel in Surat, Gujarat, with ten Shiv Sena MLAs. Mr Shinde, who is said to be unhappy, is “unreachable,” according to sources. The development is sure to raise red flags in Uddhav Thackeray’s government.
Mr Shinde is expected to speak to the media around 12 p.m., according to reports.
It is understood that Mr Shinde’s MPs are dissatisfied, and this could indicate a significant problem for the ruling coalition of Shiv Sena, Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party.
Mr Shinde is a senior Sena leader in Thane who has been instrumental in the organization’s regional strengthening.
Mr Shinde, who is seen as a mass leader, was named Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly in 2014 when the Shiv Sena split from the BJP. He was appointed cabinet minister for Urban Development and Public Works when the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration was created (Public Undertakings).
There have been recent rumours that Mr Shinde is dissatisfied with the leadership and feels marginalised.
Dr. Shrikant Shinde, his son, is a Member of Parliament from Kalyan.
The development has sparked discussion over Uddhav Thackeray’s government’s survival.
Narayan Rane, a former Sena politician who now works for the BJP, responded with a witty retort. “No remarks should be made on such matters,” he added, “else what is the point of being unreachable?”
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