E-Paper
Maharashtra political crisis: Deputy speaker calls Sena’s move to remove Eknath Shinde ‘valid’
Hours after Shinde had gone ‘incommunicado’ and had traveled to Surat along with other MLAs on Tuesday, triggering a survival crisis for the MVA government, the Shiv Sena removed the rebel lawmaker as the party's leader in the House.
Maharashtra legislative assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal on Thursday called rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde's removal from the Assembly “valid”. Approving the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as the Shiv Sena's leader in the House by replacing Shinde, Zirwal said he received the “appointment letter of Choudhary from Shiv Sena”.
“I have accepted the letter, which was sent by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray,” he said.
Hours after Shinde had gone ‘incommunicado’ and had traveled to Surat along with other MLAs on Tuesday, triggering a survival crisis for the MVA government, the Shiv Sena removed the rebel lawmaker as the party's leader in the House. Soon after, rebel MLAs passed a resolution signed by 34 MLAs calling Shinde the party’s head.
Also read: BJP offer to Eknath Shinde: Deputy CM, key cabinet berths
Since then Shinde, who is camped in Assam's Guwahati with his rebels, has claimed the support of 42 MLAs, including Independent legislators, is enough to circumvent the anti-defection law and seize control of the Sena.
Shinde had submitted a letter to the Assembly's deputy speaker on Wednesday, seeking replacement of Sunil Prabhu with Bharat Gogavale as the chief whip of the Shiv Sena legislature party. Zirwal, however, said that “independents have no role in such party affairs”.
“One (Shiv Sena) MLA, Nitin Deshmukh (who had accompanied rebel leaders to Surat), has claimed that he has not signed the letter issued by Shinde. I will study it, seek the advice of legal experts and then decide (on it),” he added as reported by news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, a day after CM Uddhav Thackeray gave an emotional address, Shinde tweeted a letter by Aurangabad MLA Sanjay Shirsat that spoke about the Sena supremo’s “inner circle stopped lawmakers from meeting him.”
(With inputs from PTI)
