Guwahati | Jagran News Desk: A day after sending shockwaves across the Maharashtra government alliances, Shiv Sena leader and state minister Eknath Shinde flew to another BJP-ruled state, Assam, from Gujarat in the wee hours of Wednesday. After landing at the Guwahati airport, Shinde claimed that he has the support of around 40 Shiv Sena MLAs, who have accompanied him to Assam, and said that they will take forward the Hindutva of Balasaheb Thackeray.
#WATCH | A group of Maharashtra MLAs arrives at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam. Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, upon arrival in Guwahati, said that 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are present here.
— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022
Shinde & some other MLAs were unreachable after suspected cross-voting in MLC polls. pic.twitter.com/Fxdd4d5nlC
The ruling MVA alliance on Tuesday was left on the brink after Eknath Shinde went incommunicado and was found camping at the Le Meridian Hotel in Surat. Shinde was accompanied by around 23 MLAs in the hotel. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut claimed that the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, denied any link to the ongoing developments.
Here are the TOP developments from Maharashtra Political Crisis:
- "A total of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. His remarks came as speculation is rife that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
#WATCH | "A total of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde after arriving in Guwahati, Assam pic.twitter.com/YpSrGbJvdt
— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022
- The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. "I came to receive them (Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat, Gujarat). I have not counted how many MLAs have arrived. I came here for personal relations. They have not disclosed any program," Borgohain said.
I came to receive them (Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat, Gujarat). I have not counted how many MLAs have arrived. I came here for personal relations. They have not disclosed any program: BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain, in Guwahati, Assam pic.twitter.com/g7litKLwzM
— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022
- Shinde, before leaving for Assam, said that they have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. "We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb's Hindutva and will carry it further," he said.
#WATCH | Gujarat: Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, with 34 party MLAs & 7 independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat reach Surat International Airport to leave for Guwahati, Assam. pic.twitter.com/YtWVJEo88n
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2022
- This comes after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday.
- After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat.
Also Read: Maharashtra Crisis Deepens As Uddhav Thackeray's Phone Call Fails To Move Rebel Eknath Shinde
- Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave.
- Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government.
- However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat.
- Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader.
Also Read: Independents In Spotlight After Shinde's Bombshell Jolts Team Thackeray | Numbers Explained
- Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde.