Maharashtra Crisis Live: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray targets Home Minister Amit Shah

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed his displeasure over the way a section of MLAs from his group danced in Goa following the announcement of his name for the top post.

On Thursday, the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs broke into a dance in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Goa, where they are currently staying, when they heard that Shinde was going to be the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

A video showing the rebel MLAs dancing to the tune of Marathi songs went viral.

However, several netizens slammed them for the way they danced, terming the act as indecent. While Shinde took oath as the chief minister, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in as his deputy.

After the swearing-in ceremony held in Mumbai, Shinde returned to the hotel at Dona Paula near here in the wee hours of Friday. On his return, Shinde expressed his displeasure over their dance and objected to it.

Had Amit Shah kept his word given to me, there would have been a BJP chief minister in Maharashtra now: Uddhav Thackeray.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said a new government in Maharashtra under Eknath Shinde has been formed by the BJP with a group of MLAs that split the party, and asserted that the Sena is where the Thackerays are.

Taking a dig at Deputy Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Raut said had the BJP stuck to its word in 2019, it could have had the CM's post for two-and-a-half years and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) experiment involving his party, the NCP and the Congress would not have taken place.

What has the BJP achieved, Raut asked after Fadnavis took charge as the deputy chief minister.

"We will try to expand our party under Uddhav Thackeray. A group split from the Sena has formed the government with the BJP," Raut told reporters.

Two-day special session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from July 3: Official

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 11 the plea of Shiv Sena chief Sunil Prabhu seeking suspension from assembly of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala was urged by senior advocate Kapil Sibal that the plea needed urgent hearing due to the pendency of disqualification proceedings against 16 lawmakers including the chief minister.

The bench agreed to hear the fresh plea on July 11.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said his elevation to the top post is due to the masterstroke by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.

“People thought that the BJP was desperate for power. But truly, this is a masterstroke by Devendra ji. To hand over power to another person despite having larger numbers (of MLAs) requires a big heart.

“With his decision, people of the state and the country got to see a new example of this large heartedness,” Shinde said after he and Fadnavis were sworn in as CM and Deputy CM respectively at Raj Bhavan Thursday evening.

• Maharashtra crisis: Sena chief Sunil Prabhu whip moves plea in SC 
• Plea seeks suspension of Shinde & 15 MLAs from Assembly 
• Suspended till disqualification verdict is out: plea in SC

I extend my greeting to the new CM of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. I hope that good works take place in Maharashtra through both of you: Former CM Uddhav Thackeray

"Eknath Shinde to be the Maharashtra Chief Minister, oath ceremony to be held at 7.30pm today," BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis announces in a joint press conference with Shinde

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis & Eknath Shinde reach Raj Bhawan

Maharashtra BJP leader Girish Mahajan on Thursday claimed that his party has the support of 170 MLAs, way above the 145 majority mark in the 288-member House that is necessary to form a government in the state.

The BJP is set to return to power in the state with the support of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray tendered his resignation on Wednesday night, leading to the collapse of the 31-month-long three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde left Goa for Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, where he is scheduled to meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Shinde and other rebel MLAs, who arrived in Goa on Wednesday night from Guwahati, stayed at a resort at Dona Paula near here. While other MLAs continued to be at the resort, Shinde stepped out amid a tight police security around 12.20 pm.

"I am going to Mumbai to meet the Maharashtra Governor. All other MLAs are staying in Goa at present," Shinde told reporters outside the resort.

Congress MLAs to shortly meet at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan to discuss the present political situation in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Assembly Secretary Rajendra Bhagwat informs all state MLAs that as per Governor's orders, there's no need for a floor test now, so today's special session will not be convened Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as Maharashtra CM & from his MLC post, yesterday.

Uddhav Thackeray's resignation brought to an end the 31-month-old rule of the MVA 

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said party colleague Devendra Fadnavis and rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde will take a call on the next court of action

Uddhav Thackeray offered prayers at a temple with sons Aaditya and Tejas after submitting his resignation as Maharashtra CM to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Uddhav Thackeray resigns as chief minister after SC okays floor test

Chairing a cabinet meeting even as his government faces a serious crisis, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday evening said he was betrayed by his own people.

Thackeray chaired a cabinet meeting here while the hearing on his government's petition challenging the governor's directive to conduct a floor test to prove majority was underway.

"I also apologize if I have hurt anyone unintentionally," the official quoting Thackeray as saying.

The floor of the House is the only way to settle these issues of democracy, observed the Supreme Court on Wednesday while hearing Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu’s plea against Maharashtra Governor’s direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a floor test in the Assembly on Thursday.

Eknath Shinde's lawyer: Floor Test is an area carved out for the discretion of the Governor. Unless the decision of the Governor is held to be grossly irrational or mala fide, there can be no interference.

Eknath Shinde's lawyer: They are in a hopeless minority within the party itself, forget the House.

Maharashtra state cabinet approves the renaming of Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv. Navi Mumbai Airport's name will be changed to DB Patil International Airport. - ANI

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shiv Sena lawyer: w

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shiv Sena lawyer: what heaves will fall if the floor test in not conducted tomorrow?

Singhvi, Shiv Sena lawyer: If these MLAs are allowed to vote tomorrow, then milordships would be permitting voting by MLAs who may be disqualified later. That goes to the root to the democratic principles.

Shiv Sena lawyer: If disqualification of MLAs is allowed on July 11, then they stand to be disqualified from June 21. How can MLAs who are effectively disqualified from June 21 vote in a floor test on June 29

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shiv Sena lawyer: Governor cannot short circuit and render irrelevant this Court's proceedings and the eventual proceedings of the Speaker.

Shiv Sena lawyer: floor test is linked to disqualification of MLAs, it can't be conducted before ruling on disqualification comes

Shiv Sena lawyer: two MLAs of NCP are down with Covid, one Congress MLA is abroad

Incarcerated NCP MLAs Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking permission to participate in the Maharashtra Assembly floor test.

The two MLAs have been booked for offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and are in jail. Their lawyer told the apex court that the two leaders want to participate in the Maharashtra legislative assembly floor test scheduled to be held on Thursday at 11 am.

The SC said it would take up their application at 5.30 pm

"He left 'Varsha' (chief minister's official residence), he left 52 MLAs, he left everyone, but he is not ready to leave Sharad Pawar," Rebel Shiv Sena minister Gulabrao Patil attacked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Patil said the rebel MLAs were not opportunist and did everything for the party and their leader when they were not even in a position to do so. Patil is part of the rebellion launched by senior leader Eknath Shinde last week against the Sena.  

Dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde claims rebel MLAs are 50-strong.