The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is battling a survival crisis following the rebellion of senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde and a sizable number of MLAs belonging to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Shinde and the party rebels, who are currently camping in Guwahati, has said he has 46 MLAs supporting him.
Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM. If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House, said Sena leader Sanjay Raut. Uddhav Thackeray during addressed the public via a Facebook live and said that he was ready to step down if the rebel MLAs came forward and tell him on his face to do so. Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde said the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra was an unnatural alliance and it was imperative for his party to walk out of the coalition with the NCP and the Congress for its own sake and that of party workers.
It is necessary to quit the unnatural alliance for the sake of Shiv Sainiks and the Shiv Sena. It is important to take a decision in the interest of the state, Shinde said. The rebel faction challenged the appointment of Sena MLA from Mumbai Ajay Choudhari as the Legislature Party leader, and the rejection of their no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal. On the other side, the loyalists of Thackeray, too, have geared up to take on the rebels with Arvind Sawant, MP, stating that the party had already initiated legal action to disqualify the 16 rebel MLAs by serving notices on them.