The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government has lost majority as the Shiv Sena legislative party has withdrawn support, rebel MLA Eknath Shinde said in the petition filed before the Supreme Court on Monday.
The Shinde camp had moved the top court challenging the disqualification notices sent by deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal to them on June 21, saying that the move represented misuse of the anti-defection law by the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. The Shinde camp including 38 MLAs on Saturday formed a group named ‘Shiv Sena Balasaheb’, triggering objections by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. The move by Shinde has triggered a legacy war between the two factions.
The Shiv Sena in its executive meet on Saturday passed key resolutions including the one which said that the party belongs to Balasaheb Thackeray and nobody else would be allowed to use his name. “No other political party or group can stake claim to these names,” said MP Anil Desai.“The leaders who have left the Shiv Sena are now on their own and should not seek votes either in the name of the Shiv Sena or Balasaheb Thackeray,” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had said.
