Political crisis deepens in Maharashtra; Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde claims support of forty MLAs

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Political crisis has deepened in Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra is facing its worst crisis since coming into power in 2019.

Senior Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde has rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray leadership. Mr Shinde has claimed the support of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs out of a total of 55 and took some of them to BJP-ruled Gujarat. They were shifted to Guwahati in Assam from Surat this morning. To circumvent the anti-defection law, Mr Shinde will need two-thirds of the 55 Shiv Sena MLAs which comes to 37, on his side.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLAs, who are supporting Mr Thackeray, have been shifted to a hotel in Lower Parel near Mumbai to protect them from poaching.

Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra is in deep trouble as more than 37 MLAs are seen accompanying Rebel Shiv Sena Minister Eknath Shinde. While speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Mr. Shinde has claimed that he has come to the Capital of Assam with 40 MLAs and 10 more would be soon joining him.

Saying that he will not leave Shiv Sena, Shinde added that he believes on the agenda of Hindutva which was laid by late Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, a close confidante of Shinde said that the MLAs want Shiv Sena- BJP alliance in Maharashtra.

There are reports that Eknath Shinde spoke to Uddhav Thackeray over phone from Surat yesterday and laid his conditions about the alliance in Maharashra. However nothing official has come from the Shiv Sena which has lot at stake from the point of view of state politics; the biggest being losing the coalition Government which it has forged with the NCP and Congress.