Mumbai: The political drama in Maharashtra took an interesting turn on Friday when the Shiv Sena demanded disqualification of 12 legislators including the leader of the rebel group Eknath Shinde for flouting the party’s whip to attend the meeting of all legislators on Wednesday. This development happened after the rebel group led by Shinde submitted a list of 37 legislators to Deputy Speaker of the House Narhari Zirwal on Thursday. The list, submitted late on Thursday, has also attached two resolutions stating — Shinde continues to be the chief of Shiv Sena Legislative Party, and MLA Bharat Gogavale has been appointed new Chief Whip. The group claimed the support of 40 legislators and a dozen independents and smaller parties on Friday. In the aftermath of Shinde’s list, the Shiv Sena submitted the names of 12 legislators, including that of Shinde, to Zirwal, urging him to disqualify them. Party MP Arvind Sawant said that the disqualification was sought for flouting the Sena’s Whip to attend a meeting of party legislators.
Those who did not attend that meeting were Eknath Shinde, Tanaji Sawant, Prakash Surve, Sandipan Bhumre, Bharat Gogavale, Balaji Kinikar, Anil Babar, Lata Sonwane, Yamini Jadhav, Sanjay Shirsat, Mahesh Shinde and Abdul Sattar.
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The development came after the party on Tuesday removed Shinde as the Shiv Sena Legislative Party Leader and replaced him with Ajay Chaudhri, which the Deputy Speaker has accepted, but the rebels group has cried foul. Shinde said in Guwahati that the move was ‘illegal’ and intended to scare the legislators. “We are not frightened by all this. We know what they are doing and we also are aware of the laws and procedures… Let them send any number of letters or notices, we are not bothered,” declared Shinde, speaking to the media.
Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut said on Friday that now the legal battle has begun with the plea to the Deputy Speaker Zirwal to disqualify the 12 legislators as democracy runs on majority figures ‘which can change anytime’. “So far, the support claimed by the rebels is only on paper… They have not yet come to Mumbai and the numbers will change after they return… Those who have gone will have to repent,” Raut cautioned. In Mumbai, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Nationalist Congress Party-Congress have thrown their full weight behind Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and help him fight the crisis till the end. On the other hand, president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar said that Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government still continues to be in power. Political analysts in Mumbai said that it would not be easy to solve the riddle and it would continue for some more time.
