Rebel Sena MLAs may go to BJP-ruled Assam, Maha cabinet meet tomorrow & other points

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra continues to battle its biggest political crisis since it came into existence on November 28, 2019. The Shiv Sena, one of the constituent partners of the MVA, battles rebellion after its senior minister Eknath Shinde turned incommunicado and is presently camping in a hotel in Surat in BJP-ruled Gujarat. The Shiv Sena has put up a brave front, sacking Shinde as the group leader in the state legislature. A crucial cabinet meet will be held on Wednesday.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar called the rebellion by Shinde as an internal matter of Shiv Sena and declared support to the decisions taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. There is no definite number of Sena MLAs camping with Shinde, but party leaders say at least 20 legislators are camping with the disgruntled minister.

Here are top developments that have transpired in Maharashtra.

1. The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs could be sent to another BJP-ruled state, probably Assam, according to sources. The rebel MLAs led by Shinde have been camping at a hotel in Surat. Two Shiv Sena MLAs Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had gone to meet Shinde in the hotel.

2. The Shiv Sena has issued a warning to all the rebel MLAs against not toeing the party line. "The MLAs will have to follow whip issues by the party's chief whip else they will lose membership of the assembly," Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.

3. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which outsmarted the Shiv Sena in the Rajya Sabha polls and the legislative council polls, ruled out any proposal to form the government. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said,"So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time."

4. Congress, the third partner in the Aghadi government, has ruled out any threat to the government. “Gujarat is the focal point of this earthquake. Modi-led Centre, which doesn't believe in democracy, has conspired to topple our govt. MVA will fight this, we will win,” Congress leader Nana Patole said. Congress minister Balasaheb Thorat told PTI that his party is closely watching the developments in the Shiv Sena and have also spoken to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

5. Hundreds of Shiv Sena workers gathered outside the Shiv Sena headquarters in Mumbai to express solidarity with party president Uddhav Thackeray battling the rebellion by Sena minister Eknath Shinde. As the number of Sena supporters swell, police deployed additional personnel at the Shiv Sena Bhavan in the Dadar area. "This protest will continue against whoever betrays the Shiv Sena. Our leader Uddhav Thackeray will overcome all these problems and emerge victorious," one woman at the site said.

6. Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh's wife told Marathi TV channels that he was beaten up by Gujarat police ad he tried to leave the hotel in Surat. He seems to have been admitted in a local hospital, she alleged. Sena MP tweeted and levelled the same allegation. “MLA Nitn Deshmukh is in Gujarat BJP's captivity. He was abducted from Mumbai. He tried to free himself last Monday night. He was mercilessly beaten by the Gujarat Police and the goons. The goons from Mumbai are in Gujarat. Violence in Gujarat!” Raut tweeted.