Maha crisis: Thackeray faction demands disqualification of 12 MLAs, rebel group says 'not afraid of threats'

"We've filed a petition before the Deputy Speaker (of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) and demanded that the membership of 12 (MLAs) should be cancelled as they didn't attend yesterday's meeting," Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant said.

New Delhi: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's faction on Thursday proposed the disqualification of 12 rebel MLAs including the revolt leader Eknath Shinde himself. "We've filed a petition before the Deputy Speaker (of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) and demanded that the membership of 12 (MLAs) should be cancelled as they didn't attend yesterday's meeting," Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant said.

He further clarified that the party had officially issued a notice to all the MLAs before the meeting, stating that those not attending it will attract legal action and could be disqualified from their membership as per the constitutional provisions. Apart from Shinde, Shiv Sena has sought disqualification of Prakash Surve, Tanaji Sawant, Mahesh Shinde, Abdul Sattar, Sandeep Bhumare, Bharat Gogawale, Sanjay Shirsat, Yamini Yadhav, Anil Babar, Balaji Devdas and Lata Chaudhari.

On the other hand, the Shinde camp has written to the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly stating that Shinde continues to be the legislative party leader according to a resolution adopted on Tuesday by rebel MLAs. The letter has the signatures of 37 Shiv Sena MLAs and a copy of it has been sent to Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and Secretary to the Legislative Council Rajendra Bhagwat.

Shinde also took to Twitter to express his response to his rival's petition. "You cannot scare us by giving the names of 12 MLAs for disqualification. We are followers of the Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, we do not pay heed to threats. We also very well know the law," Shinde's tweet in Marathi read.

Meanwhile, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis reportedly had a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah late on Thursday night, as informed by sources familiar with the development. Chief Ministers of all BJP-ruled states, too, have arrived in Delhi for a political meeting of the party to determine a future course of action, the sources further noted.

Meanwhile, addressing the media personnel, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday said that any time the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government in Maharashtra could collapse and a new government would be formed under the leadership of former CM Devendra Fadnavis. Quelling rumours that BJP had any role behind the political turmoil in Maharashtra after nearly 42 MLAs sided with the rebel Eknath Shinde, Ramdas said that Shiv Sena 2019 cheated the BJP after it formed an alliance with the Congress and the NCP.