Amid political instability facing Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government, constituent Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar said his party will continue to support Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s government.
He held meetings with all lawmakers from his party at his Mumbai residence.
The Maharashtra government has been pushed to the brink since Monday evening after cross voting was evident in the MLC poll results declared on June 20. Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde “eloped” with 35 MLAs including Independent ones first to BJP-ruled Gujarat’s Surat town, before flying off to another saffron state Assam on Wednesday.
“We are with Uddhav Thackeray and we will continue to support him, said NCP top leader Jayant Patil after the meeting that lasted two hours.
On Wednesday evening during his Facebook Live, Thackeray breaking his silence for the first time ever since the Shinde crisis broke, acknowledged: “When all three parties came together in 2019, Sharad Pawar told me that I had to take the responsibility of CM post. I didn’t even have prior experience. But I took the responsibility. Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi helped me a lot, they kept their faith in me.”
The meeting of NCP leaders was chaired by Pawar. Patil said that the NCP will fully support Uddhav Thackeray so that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government does not fall. We want to save MVA government, added the party leader.
He also clarified that they did not know the reason for Eknath Shinde’s revolt and the internal dispute within Shiv Sena. Patil said that all the rebellious MLAs will return soon and the picture will be clear only when they return.
“Even after that, we stand firmly with Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray,” he said. “We still believe that the MLAs who went with Eknath Shinde will come back.”
Patil expressed confidence in their return especially after the FBLive. “The MLAs will surely respond positively to the appeal or statements made by Thackeray through Facebook Live yesterday,” Patil said.
When asked about Shinde’s accusation that it is the NCP and the Congress which have caused huge losses to Sena, Patil feigned ignorance.
The NCP apparently believes in Shinde faction’s return. “The Sena MLAs will return and will accept the leadership of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. We will not allow the government to fall till the end,” said Patil.
The NCP is schedule to hold another meeting late Thursday as the situation continues to remain unclear.
As the political temperature soared in Maharashtra politics, three more MLAs reportedly joined the Eknath Shinde camp on Thursday morning at the Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati.
The Shinde camp now claims support of 37 MLAs.
Amid the escalating political crisis in Maharashtra, a resolution was passed by the Shiv Sena Legislature Party carrying signatures of 34 MLAs that rebel leader Eknath Shinde continued to be their Leader of the Legislature Party. The letter was sent to the Maharashtra Governor.
Following the political crisis, Shiv Sena had removed Eknath Shinde as the party’s legislative party leader. However, the rebels have hit back with the resolution.
The political crisis deepened on Wednesday after Shinde claimed support of 46 MLAs.
UNI
