The crisis in Maharashtra unfolded after suspected cross-voting in Monday’s Legislative Council elections
Mumbai: To separate his party without being disqualified under the anti-defection rule, Eknath Shinde needs the backing of 37 MLAs, or a two-thirds majority in his party.
Mr. Shinde declared that he is sticking with the Shiv Sena and that he wants to carry on the Hindutva philosophy of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackery. “We haven’t left and won’t leave Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. We support Hindutva On Monday night, Eknath Shinde and 21 other MLAs took a flight from Mumbai to Surat in BJP-controlled Gujarat.
The MLAs made a late-night sprint to the airport and boarded flights to another BJP-ruled state, Assam, hours after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to the dissident leader for 10 minutes last evening.
The Sena rebels were met by BJP leaders upon their arrival in Guwahati and led to a five-star hotel where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had previously been sighted. The preparation of “fifty rooms,” according to insiders, suggests that additional Sena MLAs will arrive today.”said
Eknath Shinde had been asked by Uddhav Thackeray to change his mind and rejoin the party. According to sources, Mr. Shinde had requested that the Sena and BJP form a new coalition and control the state together. According to reports, the BJP relocated the Shiv Sena MLAs to Guwahati in order to prevent further clashes.
A Maharashtra cabinet meeting has been scheduled for 1 pm by Uddhav Thackeray. Before the meeting, he would probably meet with Sharad Pawar, a fellow Congressman, and Kamal Nath.
Maharashtra GovernorĀ Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been admitted to a Mumbai hospital after testing positive for Covid. He said that anyone who wanted to contact him could do so via video conferencing.
The Sena’s massive crisis was reportedly triggered by a reprimand from Mr Thackeray to Mr Shinde on Monday night after Sena MLAs cross-voted for the BJP in key elections. Their action meant that the BJP won five of a total of 10 seats (its own numbers entitled the party to four seats; the cross-voting allowed a bonus seat).
To displace Mr Thackeray and win a vote of confidence – should it come to that – the BJP needs 37 MLAs apart from its own 106. Mr Shinde claims he has enough MLAs with him to enable the coup.
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