Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has resigned from the post of Chief Minister of Maharashtra ahead of the floor test, which was scheduled to take place today (Thursday, June 30). But with Thackeray stepping down, the political landscape of Maharashtra changed. Here are 10 major developments from Maharashtra’s political crisis.
1) Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray submitted his resignation to the state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday night. The governor accepted the resignation and asked Uddhav Thackeray to continue as the CM till alternative arrangements were made.
2) Thackeray himself went to the Raj Bhavan and was accompanied by his son Aaditya Thackeray. As soon as he handed over his resignation, he shook hands for a while. On Wednesday, Thackeray had announced his resignation after the Supreme Court allowed a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday.
3) The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave its nod for a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly as it refused to stay the state governor’s decision, which was challenged by Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu. Supreme Court bench said on Wednesday.
4) BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde will now decide the next course of action, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said on Wednesday night.
5) Several BJP MLAs and senior leaders gathered at the residence of former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai after the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Several BJP leaders, including state unit president Chandrakant Patil, congratulated each other on the fall of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government.
6) Uddhav Thackeray offers prayers at a temple in Mumbai after submitting his resignation as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Wednesday night. Uddhav Thackeray was accompanied by sons Aditya and Tejas Thackeray in the temple.
Mumbai | Uddhav Thackeray along with sons Aditya and Tejas offer prayers at the temple after submitting their resignation as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. pic.twitter.com/QyMy5Ehshf
— ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2022
7) Now that there is no need for a floor test after Uddhav’s resignation, BJP chief Chandrakant Patil urged the rebel Shiv Sainiks not to come and visit directly on the day of swearing-in.
8) The rebel MLAs reached Goa from Guwahati on Wednesday night. They reached Dabolim airport from where they headed towards a five star hotel in Panaji. They were provided tight security while traveling in coaches from Dabolim airport to the hotel in Panaji.
9) Before taking off for Goa, Eknath Shinde told reporters at the airport that the members of his group were “real Shiv Sainiks” and objected to the Shiv Sena being called rebels. “We are Shiv Sainiks of Balasaheb Thackeray. We will carry forward the ideology of Hindutva,” he said.
10) The focus will now be on Raj Bhavan in the next few days. BJP leaders are expected to meet the governor to stake claim to form the next government in the state. An official said that the swearing-in of the Fadnavis-led ministry could happen soon. Meanwhile, the police is on alert to avoid any untoward incident across the state in the backdrop of Thackeray’s resignation as CM.
Uddhav Thackeray became the chief minister after the Shiv Sena joined hands with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress to form the government in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena leadership had differences with its pre-poll ally BJP and wanted the chief minister’s post.
Follow the latest updates on the Maharashtra political crisis here.