Rebel Shiv Sena leader is meeting his team of MLAs for what he is calling a "legislature party meeting" on Thursday, a day after Uddhav Thackeray stepped down from the post of chief minister.
- Eknath Shinde camp orders Shiv Sena MLAs to be present at Goa hotel today after claiming control of party, reports ndtv.com
- Fadnavis to stake claim to form Maharashtra government after 3pm today, reports NDTV
- Oath-taking ceremony will be held in Raj Bhavan on Friday where both Fadnavis and Shinde will be present
- Shinde likely to be deputy chief minister, reports ndtv
- Will reveal our strategy after meeting Governor: Kesarkar
- Shiv Sena's original allies are the BJP
- No decision has been taken on distributing portfolios: Deepak Kesarkar of the Shinde camp
- We're not celebrating Uddhav Thackeray's resignation, says Team Shinde, reports NDTV
- Deepak Kesarkar of Team Shinde addresses press conference in Goa
- Sena rebel chief Shinde has left his Goa hotel and is headed to Mumbai along with Maharashtra BJP MLA Ravindra Chavan while the rest of the rebel MLAs stay behind, reports ndtv.com
- Shinde to be in Mumbai alone, to meet Governor soon, reports NDTV
Shinde, who triggered the crisis in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government by triggering a well-planned rebellion of Sena MLAs and touring BJP-ruled states across the country, is also expected to meet the Governor later in the day with fellow rebel MLAs, ndtv.com, quoting sources , reports.
A chartered flight carrying the breakaway MLAs landed at the Dabolim airport in Goa on Wednesday night from Guwahati. They are staying in a luxury hotel at Dona Paula, reports PTI."We will hold a meeting on Thursday to decide our future course of action," Deepak Kesarkar, the spokesperson of the rebel group, told a television channel. He said the decision will be taken by Shinde after talks.Kesarkar said a decision on when to leave Goa for Mumbai is yet to be taken. "Whether to leave on Thursday or Friday is yet to be decided," he said.
All eyes on BJP
The BJP, which has publicly tried to distance itself from the developments in Maharashtra despite evidence to the contrary, is unlikely to form a new government, sources say. However, BJP leader Girish Mahajan has claimed that they have the support of over 170 MLAs and would form the government in the next three days.
Devendra Fadnavis, who met the Governor Tuesday evening and set off the end game, is being projected as the primary contender for the top post.
The Maharashtra BJP tweeted a video clip of a speech in Marathi by Fadnavis. The accompanying caption, also in Marathi, read, "I will come again. For the creation of a new Maharashtra! Jai Maharashtra".
Eknath Shinde is likely to be Mr Fadnavis's deputy, according to sources.
'Not a happy situation'
Kesarkar, when asked about the Supreme Court verdict on Wednesday in which it refused to stay Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari's direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led government to take a floor test in the Assembly, said there was nothing to feel happy about it as the NCP and Congress made Sena people fight among themselves."We had tried to avoid it (rebellion) But it could not be avoided," he said.Reacting to Thackeray's resignation, Kesarkar said that Sena MLAs had urged him to pull out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) even yesterday, but he preferred to approach the Supreme Court.