Guwahati: Eknath Shinde has been expelled from his position as Shiv Sena leader for engaging in anti-party actions by former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, said a Shiv Sena statement.
The political crisis in Maharashtra was created by a revolt in Shiv Sena led by Shinde who stayed in Guwahati with other MLAs supporting him. Uddhav Thackeray stepped down as CM on Wednesday.
Earlier on Friday, Thackeray criticised the BJP for electing renegade Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde to the position of Chief Minister. Thackeray asserted that if the former ally had agreed to this earlier, there wouldn’t have been a Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state.
The Shiv Sena and the BJP split up because the former wanted 2.5 years of Chief Ministership for each party throughout the five-year tenure, while the latter had refused after the 2019 Assembly elections in the state. Shiv Sena had then stitched an alliance with rival NCP and Congress to form the government.
When discussing the swearing-in ceremony for Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as his deputy, and Shinde, who was selected as the Chief Minister, Thackeray remarked, “Regarding what transpired yesterday, I already advised Amit Shah that a Shiv Sena CM should be in place for 2.5 years (during Shiv Sena-BJP alliance). Maha Vikas Aghadi would not have existed if they had carried out this action sooner.”
The Shiv Sena leader attacked Shinde, claiming that the new chief minister is not a member of his party, as the BJP had intended. He said that he had discussed the division of the Chief Ministerial seat for 2.5 years each with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2019.
“I had expressed my concerns to Amit Shah on the way the government was formed and the appointment of a purported Shiv Sena member as chief minister. This could have been handled with decency. The Shiv Sena was formally on your side (at that time). Eknath Shinde is not a Shiv Sena chief minister “declared Thackeray.
The Maharashtra government of Eknath Shinde will be put to a vote of confidence to demonstrate its majority in the State Assembly on July 4 .
The Maharashtra Assembly’s Special Session will take place on July 3 and 4.