As Shiv Sena rebels claimed to have the strength to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray threw a challenge and offered to resign if they come face-to-face and tell him to step down.
Eknath Shinde, the leader of the rebel group who seems to have reached a point of no return, said that it is necessary for Shiv Sena to come out of the “unnatural alliance” with NCP-Congress in the interests of Maharashtra.
According to him, while the Shiv Sena, which is heading the alliance is being "systematically weakened", NCP-Congress is reaping benefits and getting strengthened.
The MVA has launched mammoth efforts to salvage the two-and-a-half-year-old old marquee anti-BJP coalition even as the saffron party is maintaining a wait and watch mode.
Thackeray offered to step down as Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President - and moved out from Varsha, the official bungalow in Malabar Hill to Matoshree, his private residence in Bandra.
“If you say, then I am ready to leave the Chief Minister’s post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me. I am ready to quit not only the post of Chief Minister but also as Shiv Sena President,” he said in his address made on virtual mode.
“Why make statements from Surat and other places? Come and tell me to my face that I am incompetent to handle the posts of Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President. I will resign immediately. Rather, I will keep my resignation letter ready and you can come and take it to Raj Bhavan (and submit it to the Governor)...while Congress and NCP supported me, some of my own have questioned,” he said.
Shortly after Thackeray’s address, the CMO released the list of decisions of the weekly Cabinet meeting, which he presided over earlier in the day.
According to latest reports, top BJP leaders are in touch with the Shinde-led rebels. However, they have neither confirmed nor denied any communications.
“We have 45 MLAs with us, most of them are from Shiv Sena and some independents and from smaller parties…more people are in touch with us and they would be joining,” Shinde said in Guwahati after he along with his group of MLAs including ministers moved from Surat in a chartered plane.
“We all are followers of Balasaheb Thackeray, we have neither left Shiv Sena nor plan to leave Shiv Sena…I must remember what Balasaheb, who used to say ‘garv se kaho hum Hindu hai,” said Shinde, who is now closeted at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Guwahati.
NCP President Sharad Pawar, who is the chief architect of MVA, his daughter Supriya Sule met Thackeray and so as state Congress President Nana Patole, Congress legislature party leader and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan. AICC observer and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath also spoke to Thackeray.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is keeping a low profile though he chaired a series of meetings.
“If there is a need, we will prove majority on the floor of the House…the Chief Minister will submit his resignation,” Shiv Sena’s trouble shooter Sanjay Raut said and strongly denied that there are suggestions from Pawar to make Shinde the Chief Minister. “There is no such proposal,” he said.