Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday night moved out of his official residence as the state faces a crisis with MLAs writing to the Governor declaring Eknath Shinde as their leader.
Meanwhile, the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP – the alliance partners of the Shiv Sena in the state – have reportedly suggested that Shinde be named as chief minister in order to avoid the crisis. Shinde, who leads the rebel Shiv Sena leaders, said that the ruling coalition has been beneficial only for the alliance partners but the ordinary Shiv Sainiks have suffered in the past two-and-a-half years that the government has been in power.
Thackeray, who tested positive for COVID, said in an address on Facebook: “If my own people don’t want me as chief minister, he should walk up to me and say so… I am ready to resign… I am Balasaheb’s son, I am not after a post.”
According to some latest reports, the rebel camp has nearly all the MLAs required to split the party without facing disqualification. This includes five Independent MLAs. The BJP meanwhile said that it was an “internal matter of the Shiv Sena” and that the BJP “hasn’t spoke to Eknath Shinde nor staked claim to form the government”, according to Union Minister Raosaheb Patil.
