Rebellion Stoked In Maharashtra: MVA Faces Grim Survival Crisis As Sena Minister, MLAs On Verge Of Revolt
By D N Singh
Mumbai, June 21: This is for the second time that the Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Agadhi government in Maharashtra faces a challenge from within this time that the chief minister seems on the tenterhooks. As the rebel face now, the minister in Aghadi ministry Eknath Shinde remains parked with his flock of supporting legislators in Gujarat.
Shine has almost made his war plan nearly clear that he and his supporters would take on the Agadhi dispensation by the horns.
Now, a fresh bout of political brick batting has surfaced as the side with the present government has alleged that, it was the Bharatiya Janata Party which has engineered the split to topple the Thackeray led alliance government.
After giving second jolt to ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra this month, #BJP said that both @ShivSena & #Congress saw vote erosion in state Legislative Council elections.
Calling it a splendid victory, @BJP4Maharashtra in-charge & party national secretary, @CTRavi_BJP. pic.twitter.com/lmSNTOTMVx
— IANS (@ians_india) June 21, 2022
Meanwhile, fresh inputs obtained from sources say that, Shinde who had 12 Shiv Sena MLAs in his rebel camp, the number of rebel MLAs has gone up to 26. Which makes the task of Agadhi dispensation further critical emitting ominous signals for the Thackeray government.
The Maha Vikas Agadhi government on Tuesday faced its worst political crisis as at least one Shiv Sena Minister along with other ministers and several MLAs veered towards a revolt and are now parked in Gujarat.
Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut, however, dismissed speculation that a ‘political earthquake’ is in the offing in Maharashtra, but accused the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hatching its biggest conspiracy to topple the MVA government.
“There is no basis for the so-called ‘political earthquake’ as is being touted in some circles… This is an attempt to hit at the MVA and the plot is being staged on Gujarat soil. It will prove to be futile as in the past,” Raut declared.
Admitting that Minister Eknath Shinde, along with several MLAs’ are “not reachable”, Raut claimed that “contact has been developed with some legislators” and attempts are on to defuse the crisis.
A Congress leader said that “there’s no immediate threat to the MVAa though “frantic efforts are underway to bring down the government ahead of the civic polls in Maharashtra and the states’ elections later in the year.
As a precaution, the Congress is planning to herd its flock and has summoned all its MLAs to rush to Mumbai this evening.
The Nationalist Congress Party is also keeping close tabs on its legislators even as Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis airdashed to New Delhi to consult party bigwigs.
Hours after the MLC biennial election results were announced, political activity suddenly hotted up and Shinde, along with an estimated one to two dozen legislators suddenly became ‘incommunicado’, alarming the MVA leaders.
Early this morning, it emerged that Minister Shinde along with his supporting MLAs, had parked himself in Le Meridien Hotel in the diamond hub of Surat, barely a 3-hour drive from Mumbai.
Raut said that since early morning all the MVA allies are in hectic consultations with all the top leaders and a crucial meeting has been convened by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray this afternoon.
The Sena MP flayed the BJP for unleashing central investigation agencies to intimidate political leaders and making attempts to grab power as it did in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in the past few years.
“Let them make all attempts to dislodge the MVA government… We shall weather this crisis soon and clear all the misunderstandings of our ministers and legislators,” said Raut.
Meanwhile, Shinde — who has reportedly met top Gujarat BJP leaders — will address a press conference around noon.
