Uddhav Thackeray’s Address Shortly As Rebel Eknath Shinde Steps It Up

“Both Kamal Nath and Sharad Pawar called me yesterday and said they have faith in me. If my own people don’t want me as Chief Minister, he should walk up to me and say so,” Uddhav Thackeray said in a Facebook address this evening.

Mr Shinde and his followers have stepped up their rebellion with a letter to the Governor and Deputy Speaker in the state assembly. The letter by 34 rebel MLAs — four of them Independents — declares Mr Shinde their leader.

Besides appointing Mr Shinde the leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party, the rebel faction, in a resolution, said there is “enormous discontent” among the party cadre over the alliance with ideologically opposed Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP.

It also claimed “great dissatisfaction” over corruption in the government, corruption by ministers like Nawab Malik and former minister Anil Deshmukh and administrative issues.

The Sena has 55 MLAs, of whom 40 are learnt to be with Eknath Shinde. If they resign, the Sena’s number comes down to 15. To make his claim that he heads the real Sena official, Mr Shinde has to approach the Election Commission, which will adjudicate the dispute.

Mr Shinde — who has consistently evoked the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and his version of Hindutva since yesterday — can split the party in the assembly but needs the support of at least 37 MLAs to protect them from the anti-defection law.

Earlier today, the Shiv Sena issued an ultimatum to its MLAs, saying inability to attend the 5 pm meet at Mr Thackeray’s residence will invoke disqualification — an invite that ws largely technical with most of its MLAs camping out in Guwahati.

It is the Speaker and not the Sena who can actually disqualify any MLA. If MLAs skip the legislature party meet, the Sena can file a complaint to the Speaker and ask him to initiate disqualification proceedings under Anti-Defection law citing anti-party activities.

Earlier today, Shinde camp MLA Nitin Deshmukh reached Mumbai and expressed support for Uddhav Thackeray. He said he was “kidnapped” and taken by force to Surat.

Maharashtra BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, meanwhile, held a meet with his party leaders to discuss the nitty-gritty to stake claim to form government, sources said. To displace Mr Thackeray, the BJP, which has 106 MLAs, needs another 37 — a gap that can be covered by Mr Shinde’s faction.