Union minister Narayan Rane on Friday took on NCP chief Sharad Pawar, alleging that the latter was threatening rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, and said if anything happened to them in the Maharashtra Assembly, there will be consequences.
Earlier in the day, Pawar said that the rebel MLAs led by Eknath Shinde who are camping in Guwahati will have to come to the Maharashtra Assembly eventually, and the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government will win a trust vote despite the rebellion.
There are many good hotels in Assam, anyone can come there and stay. There is no issue with it. I don't know if Maharashtra MLAs are staying in Assam. MLAs of other states can also come andstay in Assam: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi
Amid political turmoil in Maharashtra, the Goa BJP unit has said that 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' was an adjustment to stop Devendra Fadnavis from becoming Chief Minister, which was not accepted by the people.
Goa BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, speaking to reporters here, said that Shiv Sena workers were angry at the alliance with Congress and NCP. "Only to grab the chair (CM's post), they (Shiv Sena) had gone against the principles. I feel, now people will get a good government. We will be happy if Devendra Fadnavis becomes Chief Minister again," Tanavade said.
Sharad Pawar said Shiv Sena rebels led by Eknath Shinde will have to present themselves in Vidhan Bhawan premises in Mumbai.
Everyone knows how rebel Shiv Sena MLAs were taken to Gujarat andthen Assam. We don't have to take the names of all those assisting them. Assam Government is helping them. I don't need to take any names further:NCP chief Sharad Pawar
MVA has decided to back CM Uddhav Thackeray. I believe once the (Shiv Sena) MLAs return to Mumbai the situation will change,NCP chief Sharad Pawar said in Mumbai during a media briefing
The NCP on Thursday asserted it will do all it can to save Maharashtra's ruling alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and was firmly with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose party Shiv Sena is facing a rebellion in its legislative ranks, threatening the stability of his government.
Talking to reporters after a party meeting chaired by NCP president Sharad Pawar in the backdrop of the prevailing political crisis in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said his party was firmly with the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA.
Extending an olive branch to rebel MLAs, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the party's "doors are open" to them, and all issues can be resolved through talks.
Amid ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra caused by a rebellion in the Shiv Sena, Mumbai police on Thursday beefed up security at the party headquarters Shiv Sena Bhavan and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's private residence `Matoshree'.
City police commissioner Sanjay Pandey met CM Thackeray at Matoshree to discuss the law and order situation, said an official. With senior Sena leader Eknath Shinde and at least 37 party MLAs rebelling against the party leadership, there is a possibility of violent reaction among Sena supporters in the city, the police official said.
Banners and hoardings have emerged at several places in Thane district of Maharashtra in support of Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who has rebelled against the party, pushing the Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to the brink of collapse. At some places, there are also banners in support of Sena president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde, 58, who is the sitting MLA from Kopri-Pachpakhadi in Thane city, is a key Sena leader in the Thane-Palghar region, which is considered a stronghold of the Sena.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) condemnedthe manner in which Shiv Sena MLAs "spirited away to Surat and then to Guwahati", both BJP-ruled states.
"This has been done by the BJP utilising the State machinery in both states. The Central agencies have also been utilised to target ministers and legislators of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with the aim of destabilising the government. This shameless use of State power is in line with earlier efforts to target opposition-ruled state governments with a view to topple them," a statement by the party read.
As the rebellion by senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde plunged the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra in a political crisis, an editorial in the party mouthpiece `Saamana' on Thursday said the renegade legislators should "mend their ways in time".
The MLAs who have succumbed to the BJP's "pressure tactics and inducements" should know that they would become "permanently former" if common Sena workers made up their mind, it added.
"BJP and the Centre are fully responsible for destabilising a stable government in Maharashtra to form their own government in Maharashtra. They arealso doing this for Presidential polls. I want to say that we all (Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena) will strengthen MVA,"Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress told ANI.
Amid the political crisis in Maharashtra, the Congress on Thursday said it does not want to interfere in Shiv Sena's "internal matter" but asserted confidence in Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The Congress, which along with the NCP shares power in the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation in Maharashtra, also expressed confidence that the BJP's attempt to "topple a stable government" will not succeed.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is currently camping in Guwahati with 37 rebel MLAs of the Sena and nine independents, plunging his party-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government into a crisis.
"Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi is a government established for the development and welfare of Maharashtra. We will stand firmly with Uddhavji Thackeray till the end."
The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi Government (MVA), headed by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was thrown into political turmoil on Tuesday after the rebellion of senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde.
According to the media reports, 34 Shiv Sena MLAs wrote a letter on Wednesday to Maharashtra Governor announcing their support to Eknath Shinde. As the political crisis in Maharashtra intensified, Uddhav Thackeray broke his silence on Wednesday and in an emotional address to the state said that he was ready to step down from CM post if the rebel MLAs tell him that they don't want him to continue as head of the state government.
MaharashtraLegislative Assembly's Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on Thursday said he has approved the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as the Shiv Sena's group leader in the House, replacing rebel legislator Eknath Shinde.
We were trapped and taken to Surat, I walked a kilometre to run away from there. We will not ditch Shiv Sena which has made us MLA: Kailash Patil, Shiv Sena MLA
Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal accepts Shiv Sena MLA Ajay Chaudhari as a new legislator party leader for Shiv Sena, rejects Eknath Shinde as CLP leader proposal submitted by rebelled Sena MLAs.
While we weren't able to meet the CM, people from our 'real opposition'-- the Congress & the NCP used to get opportunities to meet him & even funds were given to them related to work in their constituencies: Shiv Sena MLA's letter
Despite having a Shiv Sena CM in the state the party MLAs didn't use to get the opportunity to visit Varsha Bungalow (CM's residence). People around the CM used to decide if we can meet him or not. We felt we were insulted: Rebel Shiv Sena MLA's letter shared by Eknath Shinde
Sanjay Rathod, a leader from the Banjara community, – whose name has cropped up in the wake of the mysterious death of social media starPoojaChavan, had to resign as Forest Minister, joins Eknath Shindefaction of Shiv Sena MLAs
I don't think the Floor Test stage has been reached. Whatever stage we reach, we will speak about it then: Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Jayant Patil
Nearly 100 Trinamool Congress workers in Assam were detained by police after they staged a protest in front of the Radisson Blu hotel where Shiva Sena MLAs are staying.
In the wake of the Shiv Sena-ledMaharashtragovernment facing a crisis, party MP Krupal Tumane on Thursday denied reports of joining the rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde and asserted that he was with the Sena. Tumane, the Lok Sabha member from Ramtek in Nagpur, said "patience is the need of the hour".
He who leaves the party under ED pressure is not a true Balasaheb Bhakt. We're true Balasaheb Bhakts...even though we've been under ED pressure but will continue to stand with Uddhav Thackeray...When the floor test happens everyone will see who's positive and who is negative...: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena
I won't talk about any camp, I will talk about my party. Our party is strong even to this day...About 20 MLAs are in touch with us...when they come to Mumbai, you will get to know...will soon be revealed, in what circumstances, pressure these MLAs left us: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena
A meeting is underway between NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, ministers Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad & party leader Sunil Tatkare. The meeting is taking place at the residence of the NCP chief.
At a time when Maharashtra reels under a political crisis, veteran Congressman Prithviraj Chavan said that ideally the Home portfolio must remain with the party of the Chief Minister.
Nitin Deshmukh, the MLA who returned to Mumbai yesterday and alleged that he was “kidnapped” by Eknath Shinde’s camp said that they wouldmeet Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree.
The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra has again brought into focus the issue of defection. However, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray perhaps cannot do much as the rebel party leader Eknath Shinde - leading the pack of defectors, appears to have the support of nearly two-thirds of the total MLAs and can escape action under the 1985 anti-defection law.
As the Maha Vikas Aghadi government tiptoes towards dissolution or a hung Assembly, leaders of the BJP said that they are confident that the Shinde faction will be announced as the "real Shiv Sena".
"Shiv Sena and Hindutva are inseparable", Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Wednesday asserting that he was taking the ideologies of his late father and party founder Balasaheb Thackeray forward.
Credit: Sajith Kumar
As Shiv Sena rebels claimed to have the strength to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray threw a challenge and offered to resign if they come face-to-face and tell him to step down.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra was slowly setting an example of how opposition parties can unitedly fight the BJP. But mid-way in its tenure of five years, the Uddhav Thackeray-led and Sharad Pawar-crafted mega-alliance gets a massive jolt from the blue. Thackeray’s trouble-shooter and an influential leader from Thane, Eknath Shinde rebelled, threatening the existence of MVA, which assumed office on November 28, 2019.
Slogans of ‘Shiv Sena angaar hai, baki sab bhangar hai’ rent the air as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray left Varsha and moved to his family bungalow Matoshree in Bandra.
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