BJP's Fadnavis meets Governor Koshyari, seeks floor test

Asserting that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra is in minority after the rebellion within the Shiv Sena, a BJP delegation on Tuesday night met Governor and sought a floor test.

“We have sent an e-mail and met the Governor and handed over a letter. We informed him that 39 Shiv Sena MLAs are outside (in Guwahati) and they are saying that they do not want to remain with NCP and Congress. It means they do not want to be with MVA…which means the government is in minority and hence, floor test is required,” Leader of Opposition in Assembly Devendra Fadnavis said.

Besides, Fadnavis, his counterpart in Council Pravin Darekar, state BJP President Chandrakant Patil and Ashish Shelar were among those who were part of the delegation.

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis had airdashed New Delhi and held deliberations with BJP President Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Also read: Why does Shinde rebellion hit so hard? A look at Shiv Sena's history

This comes hours after Thackeray made yet another emotional appeal to the Eknath Shinde-backed rebels to return back from Guwahati, sit across the table in Mumbai and iron out the issues.

“As Shiv Sena party chief and family head, I am still worried about you. Come here for dialogue, through dialogue we can sort out differences,” Thackeray said in a brief statement issued through the Shiv Sena party office.

The appeal by Thackeray comes a day after the rebel group invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that both BJP and Shiv Sena were growing under his leadership and called upon Thackeray to break away from NCP-Congress and uphold the ideals of late Balasaheb Thackeray.

Thackeray’s son and Yuva Sena President Aaditya Thackeray and Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai said that 20-odd legislators are in touch with them.

Uddhav’s appeal did not seems to impress the rebels, as Shinde tweeted: “On one hand your son and Spokesperson called the revered Balasaheb's Shiv Sainiks as pigs, muck, dogs, buffaloes, illiterates, dead bodies and talked of their fathers… and, on the other hand, making a call to save the anti-Hindutva MVA, and trying to get back the very same MLAs.. what does this mean?”

Meanwhile, top leaders of NCP and Congress met separately to discuss the emerging situation and in the weekly Cabinet meeting extended support to Thackeray and asked him to put in his papers.

Shinde is also planning to return to Mumbai and make the next move. But there is no official confirmation.

The Prahar Janshakti Party, which has two MLAs and is led by junior minister Bachchu Kadu, is expected to move a no-confidence motion against the MVA government.

To escape the anti-defection law and have a smooth merger with a political party, the rebel leadership is in touch with MNS President Raj Thackeray, whose party has one MLA. Raj, the estranged cousin of Uddhav, however, has not yet okayed the move.

In the appeal, Thackeray said, “You have been stuck in Guwahati for the last few days. Every day new information is coming out about you, and many of you are also in touch. You are still in Shiv Sena. The family members of some of you MLAs have also contacted me and conveyed their feelings to me. I respect your feelings as the head of Shiv Sena's family. Get rid of the confusion, there will be a definite way out, we will sit together and find a way out of it. Please don't fall prey to any tall promises.’’