New Delhi: We have written to the Governor and told him that Shiv Sena’s 39 MLAs are repeatedly saying they don’t want to be in an alliance with the Congress-NCP. This means they are not with the government,” Devendra Fadnavis told reporters after the meeting.
“So we have told the Governor that he should ask the Chief Minister to conduct a floor test and prove majority,” he added.
From the airport, Mr. Fadnavis—Uddhav Thackeray’s predecessor in the top position—went directly to the Governor’s House. He was accompanied by Chandrakant Patil, the state BJP leader, and Girish Mahajan.
In the midst of rumours that the BJP would like to create government, Mr. Fadnavis met with BJP leader JP Nadda for 30 minutes in Delhi this evening.
The Governor might ask Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to demonstrate the majority this week, according to reports earlier today.
No floor tests were to be permitted until the Supreme Court resolved the issue of the 17 dissident MLAs’ disqualification notifications, as demanded by Team Thackeray. On it, the court has declined to issue orders.
In a day of rapid-fire developments, Mr. Thackeray requested a meeting with the rebels upon their expected Thursday return to Mumbai.
“I want to appeal to you – time is still not lost. Please come, sit with me, remove all doubts from the minds of Shiv Sainiks and the public, then we can find a way out. We can sit together and find a way out,” Mr Thackeray wrote.
The leader of the coup against Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde, indicated that he was prepared for the next step when he declared that he would travel to Mumbai “soon” and “carry Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy forward.” He asserts that he has the support of almost 50 MLAs, including nearly 40 members of the Shiv Sena.
The BJP is suspected by the Shiv Sena of orchestrating the uprising and employing law enforcement to pursue its leaders. Sanjay Raut, the principal spokesman for Uddhav Thackeray, was called in today by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, but he declined to go. Mr. Raut calls the summons a plot.
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