Maharashtra crisis LIVE| 'Ready to quit if you think I'm useless': CM Thackeray to rebels

In yet another emotional address to the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, party boss and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that he is “ready to quit the party” if they think he is “useless” and “incapable”. “If you think I'm useless and incapable of running the party, tell me. I'm ready to separate myself from the party, you can tell me. You respected me so far because Balasaheb said so. If you say I am incapable, then I am ready to quit the party right at this moment,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. Read more

Maharashtra deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal is expected to send notices to 16 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs tomorrow for a hearing on the petition filed by the party for their disqualification, news agency ANI reported. The hearing may take place on Monday (June 27).

NCP president Sharad Pawar was pictured leaving Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray's family residence ‘Matoshree’ after meeting him for a vital meeting on Friday.

Shiv Sena has called a meeting of the party's national executive committee at the Sena Bhavan in Mumbai at 1pm tomorrow. CM and party boss Uddhav Thackeray will join via video conferencing.

As the meeting between Shiv Sena supremo and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leaders is underway at his house ‘Matoshree’, the party's workers gathered in large numbers outside the venue. They chanted: 'Zindabad, Zindabad. Shiv Sena Zindabad".

All police stations in Maharashtra on high alert, especially those in Mumbai, said state police. Some Shiv Sainiks have been seen in a video resorting to violence by destroying the hoarding of a rebel MLA amid the political scenario in the state.

Shiv Sena supremo and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday gave an emotional address to his party workers, saying the rebel MLAs headed by Eknath Shinde wants to break the party. He added that he did “everything” for Shinde's son, and yet the latter is targeting his son - Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray. Read more.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said on Friday that they are “Shiv Sainiks” and will fight and “win”. “What they (Rebel MLAs) are doing is not legal&politically not feasible. It's not happening for the first time with Shiv Sena. Earlier also it had happened but all in vain.This time also it'll not succeed,” she was quoted as saying by ANI.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to meet a group of NCP leaders headed by party supremo Sharad Pawar at 6.30pm today at the former's family residence ‘Matoshree’, said deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar. “Our stand is clear, we are supporting Uddhav Thackeray and make attempts to save the MVA government,” Ajit Pawar added. Read more.

At a party meet with Shiv Sena district chiefs and Taluka heads, party boss and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that he might have vacated the official residence ‘Varsha’, but he has not “given up the will to fight”. He added that the Sena needs to rebuild and start afresh. Read more.

Hoardings spotted in Navi Mumbai for the first time supporting both rebel leader Eknath Shinde and his Shiv Sena boss and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Shiv Sena MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Friday said that they are exploring not just the “legal route” but also other options in their fight against rebel MLAs, who are currently camping at a five-star hotel in BJP-ruled Guwahati, Assam. “We will not surrender; we will win in the floor of the house and if the battle comes to the road, we will win there as well. Whoever wants to face us should come to Mumbai,” he said, after meeting with NCP boss Sharad Pawar. Read more.

In a latest protest against Shinde, several Shiv Sainiks on Friday were seen throwing ink and eggs on his poster in Nashik. In a video shared by news agency ANI, the supporters of Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray can be heard raising slogans against the rebel leader: “Eknath Shinde hae hae!”

The Shiv Sena may seek disqualification 4 more rebel MLAs, sources say. Previously the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has filed a petition before the Deputy Speaker of the state assembly seeking the cancellation of membership of 12 rebel MLAs including Eknath Shinde for "not attending" legislative party meeting held on Wednesday.

Praveen Darekar, leader of opposition in the state legislative council, writes to Governor B.S. Koshyari requesting him to stay decisions taken by the MVA government over the past few days (since Shinde launched his rebellion) for allocation of funds and transfers. "This is not correct in the present circumstances and instability... This involves misuse of public money," he said.

'CM Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar ji are in constant touch. All leaders of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena are in touch with each other," says Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.

Sena MP Raut - leading his party's fight against Eknath Shinde and his breakaway faction, told reporters he is confident his party can still win a floor test. "We will win on the floor of the House, we won't give up. They (the rebel MLAs) have taken a very wrong step. We gave them a chance to return to Mumbai... now we challenge them," he was quoted by news agency ANI.

The faction now has the required 37 legislators needed to split the party without attracting disqualification under the anti-defection law.
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“Uddhav Thackeray's time is up. Most MLAs will go with Eknath Shinde (rebel Shiv Sena MLA) and he will form government with BJP,” Dr. Ramdas Athawale, MoS and President, Republican Party of India told ANI.

“No Central minister is giving threats. BJP is not trying to destabilise the government. This is an internal matter of the Shiv Sena. BJP is only in wait & watch position,” says MoS Railways and BJP leader Raosaheb Patil Danve on Maharashtra political crisis.

Guwahati Police has detained Sanjay Bhosale, deputy district chief of Shiv Sena from Maharashtra's Satara, who was present near Radisson Blu hotel to urge party MLAs lodged at the hotel to return to Maharashtra. “This is a sensitive area. Action will be taken as per law,” say police as per news agency ANI.

Rebel Shiv Sena MLA from Aurangabad, Sanjay Shirsat, claimed that the party MLAs had informed the Maharashtra chief minister that the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party were "trying to eliminate Sena".

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BJP has nothing to do with what is happening in Maharashtra, says state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on rebelllion in Shiv Sena.

"Eknath Shinde faction that's challenging us must realise that Shiv Sena workers are yet to come on the roads. Such battles are fought either through law or on the roads. If need be then our workers would come on the roads," says Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.