As the political crisis amid Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is reaching its crescendo, shots were being fired by Shiv Sena MLAs throughout Wednesday. Various rumours were floating around. A lot was said, some MLAs took U-turn. Maharashtrians, with bated breaths, are looking at how the political crisis will shape in the coming times. Sena MLAs, who have rebelled against the party, arrived in Guwahati by a chartered flight on Wednesday, while a certain MLA reached CM Uddhav Thackeray›s house from Surat, the other spoke about their loyalty to the Sena chief.
The Sena-led MVA government has been battling for survival from the time the rebellion of senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde and a sizable number of MLAs belonging to the Thackeray-led party began.
Kaziranga is a good place to visit: Raut takes a dig at rebel MLAs
When asked about Maharashtra MLAs camping in Guwahati, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, “Kaziranga is a good place to visit. The area is also receiving good rainfall. Those who want to see nature can go there.”
Upset with NCP, Congress, No complaints against Sena chief: Bhumare
A Maharashtra Sena minister, who is among the dissidents led by Shinde, said they do not have any complaints against the Sena leadership, but they have been upset with the style of function of the NCP and Congress, the other two ruling alliance partners in the state. While speaking to a TV channel over phone, Maharashtra minister Sandipan Bhumare, who is among the dissidents, said, “We do not have any complaints against the Sena leadership. We have raised our complaints with CM Uddhav, that it was getting difficult to work with the NCP and Congress ministers. It was very difficult for us to get our proposals and work requests approved from their ministers.”
Forcibly admitted to hospital, given injections: ‘Missing’ Nitin Deshmukh
Interestingly, Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh, who was with Shinde in Surat, has said that some people had forcibly admitted him to a hospital and was given injections on his head. Deshmukh added that he never suffered a heart attack. He informed the reporters at the Nagpur airport that he somehow managed to return safely to Maharashtra from Surat and pledged loyalty to the Sena president. “I am a Shivsainik of CM Uddhav and Balasaheb Thackeray. I am in good health. On Tuesday, I was taken to a hospital in Surat by 20-25 people and police personnel. They said I had suffered a heart attack but I never suffered any heart attack. My blood pressure also didn’t shoot up. Their intention was wrong. I was given some injections forcibly,” Deshmukh claimed. His wife had filed a complaint with the Akola police stating that her husband had gone missing on Tuesday. Reacting to Deshmukh’s claims, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said this indicates “democracy is being murdered”.
Sena MLA returns after walking 4 km, boarded a lorry to proves his loyalty to CM Uddhav
There was an attempt to take a Sena MLA (Unnamed) to Gujarat, but before reaching Surat, he made his way back. He took a lift from a biker. After coming on a bike, the MLA walked about 4 km to Maharashtra. He went to Dahisar by taking a lift from a lorry and reached CM Uddhav’s house.
Did Aaditya Thackeray drop ‘minister’ from Twitter bio?
A screenshot of state cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray was trending on social media with people claiming that Aaditya has allegedly dropped ‘minister’ from his Twitter bio. Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi cleared the air with this “fact check”: “He (Aaditya Thackeray) did not have his minister status ever on his Twitter bio.”
As per the reports, earlier it was being said that this move was taken after Raut said that prestige is more important for them than power.
Aaditya is Maharashtra’s tourism minister. His Twitter bio reads, “Voicing the Youth, Poems and Photography: Passion. President, Yuva Sena. President- Mumbai District Football Association Instagram: Aditya Thackeray.”
Sena workers broke down over crisis
Sena women workers in Aurangabad broke down and wept as they protested against rebel leader Shinde who has led to ongoing instability in the MVA government in the state.
As numbers stack up against Shiv Sena, Thackeray made an emotional appeal, saying that he is ready to leave the CM post even if one person or MLA is against him.
“If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Versha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri,” he said, adding that if the MLAs had something against him, they should have come to him and said it on his face, rather than saying all this in Surat.Stating that he is ready to hand over his resignation to the rebel MLAs, Thackeray said that they should come to Maharashtra and take his resignation to Raj Bhawan. Uddhav Thackeray added that he is ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but his workers.“CM posts will come and go, but the real asset is the affection of the people. In the past 2 years, I was fortunate enough to get a lot of affection from people,” he continued.