Maharashtra Crisis No Trust Vote: With the Supreme Court giving time till July 12 to file their reply on the disqualification notices to the rebel MLAs, sources say they are now consulting lawyers to discuss the constitutional provisions for holding a floor test.
Deputy Speaker Narhari Jirwal, who belongs to the party of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s aide Sharad Pawar, had last week issued disqualification notices to Eknath Shinde and 15 other rebel MLAs.
The rebels are currently operating from a five-star hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam. Eknath Shinde’s supporters put up hoardings with pro-slogans around the hotel amid tight security arrangements by the Assam government.
Sources say that the rebel MLAs may extend their stay in Guwahati till July 5.
Maharashtra Crisis No Trust Vote: The leader of a staggered coup against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Mr Shinde claims he has the support of around 40, around 50 MLAs of the Shiv Sena.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray claimed that around 15-20 rebel MLAs are in touch with him and urged the party to bring them back to Mumbai.
As both the sides have refused to blink and appear ready for a long fight, sources say Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari may ask the state government to prove majority in the House sometime this week .
Reports suggest that several BJP leaders held a brainstorming session with the Shinde faction at Devendra Fadnavis’s residence in Mumbai to discuss the arithmetic needed to form the government. Party leader Sudhir Mungantiwa said, “We are open to the proposal of Eknath Shinde to form the government.”
Maharashtra Crisis No Trust Vote: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to pass order on a petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, urging that there should be no floor test till the pending issues are decided. “If anything illegal happens, you can always approach this court,” it said.
Acting on the petitions of the rebels, the Supreme Court also sought answers from Deputy Speaker, Shiv Sena Chief Whip Sunil Prabhu and Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader Ajay Chaudhary and the Centre.
Soon after the Supreme Court’s decision, senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and reiterated their support for him. Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde termed the verdict as a victory for Balasaheb Thackeray’s Hindutva.
Amid the crisis, Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. Mr Raut has termed the summons as a conspiracy.