News Analysis India

Tag: Uddhav Thackeray

  • Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs land in Goa for overnight stay

    By Agencies

    PANAJI: The Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde reached the Dabolim airport from Guwahati on Wednesday night, from where they were headed towards the Taj Hotel in Panaji for night stay.

    Tight security was provided to them while travelling in coaches from the Dabolim airport to the Taj Resort and Convention Centre in Panaji.

    As the Supreme Court gave a go ahead with the floor test on Thursday, the rebel MLAs are expected to leave for Mumbai early on Thursday morning.

    ALSO READ | Uddhav Thackeray steps down as Maharashtra CM after SC refuses to stay floor test

    Meanwhile, while the rebel group was travelling from Guwahati to Goa, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray tendered his resignation from the top post in a virtual conversation with the people of Maharashtra.

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday held a marathon hearing on a plea filed by Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu challenging the Maharashtra Governor’s direction to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a floor test and prove its majority in the House on Thursday.

    Police sources informed that the security at the Dabolim airport and the Taj Resort in Panaji will not be withdrawn till the rebel MLAs proceed to Mumbai on Thursday morning.

  • Uddhav Thackeray steps down as Maharashtra CM after SC refuses to stay floor test

    By Online Desk

    Minutes after Supreme Court gave its go ahead to floor test in the Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that he is resigning from his post.

    “I am resigning as the Chief Minister,” Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray announced. He also announced his resignation as MLC too.

    Uddhav Thackeray also expressed gratitude to NCP and Congress, allies in the coalition government. “I want to express my gratitude to the people of NCP and Congress that they supported me. From Shiv Sena, Anil Parab, Subhash Desai and Aaditya Thackeray, these people were only present when the proposal was passed while NCP and Congress people also supported the proposal,” he said.

    ALSO READ | We have majority, confident of victory: Eknath Shinde

    He also expressed to Maharashtra cabinet decisions taken earlier day. “I am satisfied that we have officially renamed Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv — the cities named by Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said.

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave its go ahead for floor test in Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday as it refused to stay the state Governor’s decision which was challenged by Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu. “We are not staying tomorrow’s floor test,” the Supreme Court bench said.

    The court also issued notice on Shiv Sena Chief Whip Sunil Prabhu’s plea and said that tomorrow’s floor test will be subject to the outcome of the present petition. The court will hear his plea on July 11.

    A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala had earlier in the day reserved the decision on the plea filed by Sunil Prabhu challenging Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s direction to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to hold the floor test on June 30 (Thursday).

    ALSO READ | Taking Balasaheb’s Hindutva, Shiv Sena forward: Shinde

    Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had asked the Uddhav Thackeray government in the state to prove a majority on the floor of the House on June 30 stating that the “present political scenario” unfolding in the state paints a “very disturbing picture.”

    The Governor wrote to the state Assembly secretary to convene a special session of the State Assembly tomorrow with the only agenda of a trust vote against CM Thackeray.

    BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had met the Governor on Tuesday evening after returning from Delhi, and submitted a letter to him demanding an immediate floor test.

    (With agency inputs)

  • Maharashtra to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar, Osmanabad as Dharashiv

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray approved the contentious proposals of renaming Aurangabad and Osmanabad as well as the new upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, here on Wednesday.

    Accordingly, Aurangabad and Osmanabad shall be rechristened as ‘Sambhajinagar’ and ‘Dharashiv’, respectively, in deference to the wishes of many locals and political groups.

    The Navi Mumbai International Airport — currently being constructed by the Adani Group in adjoining Raigad to decongest Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai — shall be renamed after the late ‘Dinkar Balu Patil’, a prominent leader of the coastal Konkan belt, instead of the Shiv Sena founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, as earlier contemplated.

    These major decisions — among several others came at what is billed as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s ‘final cabinet’ meeting, with all ministers of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress alliance present.

    The renaming of Aurangabad was among the crucial demands of the group of rebels who left Maharashtra late on June 20 putting the MVA government in limbo and now the stage is set for a critical floor test to prove its majority on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, Thackeray thanked all his cabinet colleagues and officials for their cooperation in the past two-and-half-years as all eyes were riveted to the ongoing Supreme Court hearing that could have a bearing on the MVA’s future.

    ALSO WATCH |

  • Order to conduct floor test in supersonic speed amounts to putting cart before horse: Shiv Sena to SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu Wednesday challenged in the Supreme Court the Maharashtra Governor’s direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a floor test in the Assembly on Thursday, saying the order to conduct a floor test in a “supersonic speed” amounts to putting the cart before the horse.

    Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Prabhu, told a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala that two MLAs of the NCP are down with Covid-19 while two MLAs of the Congress are abroad and they are asked to participate in the floor test on Thursday.

    Singhvi argued that allowing floor tests would mean making Tenth Schedule a “dead letter”. The bench observed that the Tenth schedule is one of the robust provisions and the court should strengthen it.

    The hearing in the matter is underway.

    Earlier in the day, the bench had taken note of submissions of Singhvi that an urgent hearing was needed in view of the decision taken by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asking the MVA government to prove the majority at 11 am on Thursday.

    The bench had agreed to hear the matter at 5 pm today. The petition has contended that the Governor vide communication dated June 28, 2022 (which was received today i.e., on June 29 at about 9:00 am) has decided to hold a floor test in complete defiance of the fact that this court is seized of the issue of the disqualification proceedings.

    “Such undue haste is manifestly arbitrary and therefore violative of Article 14,” said the plea and sought directions seeking setting aside of the impugned communication sent by the Governor to the Chief Minister as well as to the secretary of the Assembly.

    Koshyari has asked the Maharashtra Legislature Secretary to hold a floor test of the MVA government at 11 am on Thursday.

    The Governor’s letter comes amid the rebellion in the ruling Shiv Sena by senior minister Eknath Shinde, who has been camping in Guwahati since last week with the majority of party legislators and several independent MLAs, which has pushed the government led by Thackeray, who is also the Sena president, into a crisis.

  • SC to hear at 5 pm Sena’s plea challenging Governor’s direction to Thackeray to face floor test

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear at 5 pm the plea of Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu challenging the Maharashtra Governor’s direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take floor test in the Assembly on Thursday.

    A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala took note of submissions of senior advocate A M Singhvi that an urgent hearing was needed in view of the decision taken by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asking the MVA government to prove majority at 11 am on Thursday.

    “We will keep at 5 pm. Please make sure that paper books are supplied by 3 pm to parties concerned,” the bench said. Singhvi said the floor test cannot include names which are “stigmatised.”

    Earlier, the apex court on June 27 had kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings against rebel Shiv Sena MLAs before the Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly till July 11, and also sought responses from the state government and others on their pleas questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.

  • Maharashtra crisis: Uddhav Thackeray has lost majority, floor test imperative, says BJP to Governor

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The delegation of BJP leaders that includes Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshayari on Tuesday and requested to ask the Uddhav Thackeray government to go for the floor test because it has lost the majority.

    The BJP delegations including Devendra Fadnavis, Ashish Shelar, Pravin Darekar, et al met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshayari and conveyed him to call the special session and tell Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray that he has lost the majority and floor test should be called. 

    After meeting with Governor, Devendra Fadnavis said, as per the news in media, it seems Shiv Sena’s 39 MLAs are not happy with Maha Vikas Aghadi and they pulled out from this government. He said after this decision of Sena MLA, the Uddhav Thackeray government is in the minority so he should be asked to floor the majority on the floor of the house.

    “We met the Governor and conveyed to him the current political situation of Maharashtra. Now, he has to take the decisions. We also conveyed that as per various supreme court ruling, he can call the special session,” said Fadnavis.

    Sources said that the Governor will seek the legal opinion and take the decisions over conveying special session of the Maharashtra state assembly. 

    Earlier in the day, Devendra Fadnavis was in Delhi and met Union home minister Amit Shah along with senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani and others leaders to discuss the political situation and further strategy to form the government in Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis before meeting to Governor had called senior BJP leaders and discussed various options. Besides, the Eknath Shinde camp also called all Rebelled Sena MLA’s meetings at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati to discuss political developments. Shinde camp discussed whether to leave Mumbai or wait for a few more days till Governor convey the special session.

    Meanwhile, one unsigned letter of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshayari asked Vidhan Bhavan’s secretary to call the special session and ask Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the house on June 30. However, Governor’s office denied such a letter and termed it a fake letter.

    Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday after the cabinet meeting denied stepping down, he said that they will fight the legal battle if BJP brings no-confidence motion against them. 

  • Shiv Sena crisis: PIL seeks FIR against Thackerays, Sanjay Raut; Thane leaders supporting Eknath Shinde removed from party

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the registration of an FIR against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, minister Aaditya Thackeray and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut for sedition and breach of public peace was filed in the Bombay High Court on Tuesday amid a standoff between the MVA government and the rebel Sena MLAs.

    The petition, filed by Pune-based social worker Hemant Patil, requested the HC to restrain the trio from making any further statements against Eknath Shinde, who is leading the dissident MLAs.

    The petition claimed that pursuant to the rebellion by several MLAs of Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, protests have been held at various districts in Maharashtra and verbal attacks have been made against them.

    “The Shiv Sena MLAs, who are rebelling, are camped in Assam because of the threats given by respondents 5 to 7 (Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut). Respondent No.7 (Raut) has given a threat to all of the 40 MLAs stating that their bodies will come from Assam and will be sent directly to the morgue for postmortem. In this way all of them are creating the situation of riot and violence in the State of Maharashtra,” it said.

    The PIL will come up for hearing in due course of time.

    On the other hand, former Thane mayor and Shiv Sena coordinator in the district Meenakshi Shinde has been expelled from the party amid a rebellion by Eknath Shinde.

    She was being expelled for anti-party activities on the directions of party president (and chief minister) Uddhav Thackeray, a Sena statement issued here on Tuesday said.

    Earlier, another former Thane mayor, Naresh Mhaske, and coordinator Rahul Londe were expelled from the party.

    All these leaders have been actively taking part in rallies and gatherings in support of Eknath Shinde.

    In another development, the photographs of Eknath Shinde and his Lok Sabha MP son Shrikant Shinde have been removed from the Sena office in Dombivali, and others are expected to follow suit.

  • ‘Will soon go to Mumbai’, says rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde, outside Guwahati hotel

    By Online Desk

    Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde, who is camping in a Guwahati hotel along with his MLAs, said, “We are all going to Mumbai.” There are speculations that Shinde will meet the Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to press for the trust vote in the Assembly.

    Shinde, on Tuesday, claimed that he has support of 50 MLAs and challenged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to reveal the number of MLAs who are siding with him. “We are in Shiv Sena, we are taking the party forward. There should not be any doubt about it,” he further said. “We will give let you know about our further course of action.”

    “No MLA is suppressed here, everyone here is happy. MLAs are with us. If Shiv Sena says that the MLAs present here are in contact with them, they should reveal the names,” he added.

    This is a breaking story. Details will be added soon.

  • Maharashtra crisis: Uddhav strips rebel MLAs of ministries, redistributes portfolios among others

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asserting his position in an uncertain political time stripped nine rebel Shiv Sena ministers of their portfolios, including Eknath Shinde and Dada Bhuse etc. These stripped ministers are stationed in Guwahati who revolted against Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

    Among the nine ministers who have been stripped of their portfolios, five are cabinet ministers and four are Ministers of State.The note issued by the Maharashtra chief minister’s office said the rebelled Shiv Sena ministers are camped in Guwahati and that is affecting the administrative work. It further stated that people should not suffer and public welfare should not be stalled, and therefore this decision of stripping portfolios was taken. These portfolios are redistributed among the other ministers of the Uddhav Thackeray government.

    As per the decision, the portfolios of the urban development and public works department, which were earlier with the rebel group leader and Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde, have been handed over to another Shiv Sena minister Subhash Desai. Mr Desai also handles the industry ministry and is a very close aid of Uddhav Thackeray. Rebel minister Gulabrao Patil’s water supply and sanitation portfolios have been handed over to Anil Parab who is also the transport minister.

    The portfolios of agriculture and welfare of ex-servicemen, earlier with Dadaji Bhuse, and of employment guarantee and horticulture, held by Sandeepan Bhumare, are now with Shankar Gadakh.

    The higher education and technical education portfolios held by Uday Sawant have been handed over to Aaditya Thackeray.

    Mr Thackeray has also cracked down on Ministers of State. The Three portfolios of Shambhuraj Desai have been distributed among Sanjay Bansode, Satej Patil and Vishwajit Kadam. The Four ministries with Rajendra Patil (Yadravkar) have been distributed among Vishwajeet Kadam, Prajakt Tanpure, Satej Patil and Aditi Tatkare. The Three portfolios with Abdul Sattar are now with Prajakt Tanpure, Satej Patil and Aditi Tatkare. Four charges with Omprakash Kudu were distributed among Aditi Tatkare, Satej Patil, Sanjay Bansode and Dattatray Bharne.

    Last Saturday, seven citizens filed public interest litigation in Bombay High Court, seeking action against the rebel leaders for “omission of duties and moral wrongs committed, leading to disrespect towards the public rights and good governance”. 

    A political observer said that while distributing portfolios, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray does not require the permission of the Maharashtra governor. The chief minister can take this decision, if he wants to sack the ministers from his ministers, then he will have to inform to the governor.

    Earlier, the Maharashtra government had stripped the security of rebelled Shiv Sena MLAs’ relatives and families. Eknath Shinde took to social media and blamed the Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and home minister Dilip Walse Patil for removing the security of their family members and warned if something wrong happens, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will be held responsible. However, the Home minister clarified that they have not taken any such decisions. 

    Out of total of 55 MLAs of Shiv Sena, the 38 MLAs of Shiv Sena has rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray and supported Eknath Shinde in this mutiny.  

  • Maha political crisis: Thackeray hands over portfolios of 9 rebel ministers to other ministers

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has handed over portfolios of nine rebel ministers, who are currently camping in Guwahati, to other ministers.

    The portfolios of the rebel ministers were being handed over to other ministers for ease of administration, an official statement said. Nine Maharashtra ministers have so far joined the rebel camp led by Eknath Shinde.

    The Sena now has four cabinet ministers, including CM Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, Anil Parab, and Subhash Desai. Barring Aaditya Thackeray, the rest three are MLCs.

    In the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by the Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party had 10 Cabinet-rank ministers before the rebellion and four Ministers of State (MoS), including two from the Sena quota.

    All the four MoS have joined the rebel camp in Guwahati.