Eknath Shinde Should Resign As Maharashtra CM Like I Did: Uddhav Thackeray

In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that it cannot restore the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra as the resignation by Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister was voluntary in nature.

Photo Credit: Uddhav Thackeray

Reacting to the SC verdict, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said "my resignation could be a mistake but I am not seeing things like that. I am fighting for the people, for democracy, for the people who follow my father Balasaheb Thackeray."

"Shinde faction MLAs betrayed my party and the legacy of my father. My resignation as the CM then may have been wrong legally, but I did it on moral grounds. Shinde should also resign like the way I did," said Uddhav Thackeray.

Uddhav's son and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the role and assistance of the erstwhile Maharashtra governor in the hostile take over of the government was evident during the Maharashtra crisis.

"Unconstitutional. Illegal. Immoral. That is the only way to look at mindhe - bjp gaddar sarkar, especially after today's verdict," Aaditya tweeted.

"The role and assistance of the earlier governor in the hostile take over of the government, and suppressing democracy and constitution is evident. He acted as Party man, not as a Governor. If there's any morality and shame left, the unconstitutional cm should resign. Their greed for power is evident, but morality and democracy must be supreme,"he added.

Earlier, the Supreme Court held the Maharashtra governor was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud held that House speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was illegal.

The court further obeserved that since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.