Shinde camp likely to move court challenging group leader appointed by Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, Jun 26: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde camp is likely to move Supreme Court on Monday challenging the decision of Deputy Speaker to appoint Ajoy Choudhury as CLP leader.

"Eknath Shinde camp to approach court after seeking legal opinion on Maharashtra Dy Speaker's decision to remove Eknath Shinde as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader. Shinde faction says Dy Speaker should've given at least 7 days to rebel MLAs to reply to the notice," news agency ANI reported quoting sources.

The current political crisis is triggered after MLA Eknath Shinde flew to Surat with some MLAs before shifting to Guwahati. He has claimed to have 40 MLAs with him, thus achieving the two-thirds majority in the Shiv Sena.This has created a political uncertainty in the state.

The Maharashtra legislature secretariat on Saturday issued summons' to 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs including senior minister Eknath Shinde, seeking written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification.

Signed by Rajendra Bhagwat, principal secretary of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, the summons were sent to all 16 MLAs named by the Shiv Sena's chief whip, Sunil Prabhu, in a letter. Prabhu had earlier asked the rebel MLAs of the Shinde faction, who are camping in Guwahati, to attend a party meeting here on Wednesday but none of them turned up.

On the other hand, Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Saturday evening sent a message to his party workers that they should realise he was fighting to save the party from the clutches of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

In a tweet in Marathi, Shinde, who is camping in Guwahati with his group of MLAs, said, "My dear Shiv Sena workers, try to understand the machinations of the MVA. I am fighting for rescuing the Shiv Sena and Sena workers from the clutches of the python of the MVA." "I dedicate this fight to the interest of Shiv Sena workers," he added. Shinde and his supporters have said earlier that they want the Sena to pull out of the "unnatural" Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with the Congress and NCP, and revive the alliance with BJP.

In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, Shiv Sena has 55 MLAS, NCP (53), Congress (44), Bahujan Vikas Agahdi (three), Samajwadi Party, AIMIM and Prahar Janshakti Party two each. MNS, CPI-M, PWP, Swabhimani Paksha, Rashtriya Samaj Party, Jansurajya Shakti Party and Krantikari Shetkari Paksha have one MLA each. There are 13 independent MLAs. The opposition BJP has 106 MLAs.