Maharashtra political crisis: Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant defects to Eknath Shinde camp

Even as the Shiv Sena expressed confidence in the disqualification of 16 rebel legislators, it lost another MLA, cabinet minister Uday Samant, to the Eknath Shinde camp. Samant flew to Guwahati, Assam, on Sunday, a day after attending the party's national executive meeting chaired by its president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. With his defection, strength in Shinde's camp has increased to 39.

The Sena is now left with a CM and four ministers - three from the party and one an ally. Two are from the Assembly - Aaditya Thackeray and Shankarrao Gadakh (Independent) and two from the upper House - Subhash Desai and Anil Parab. The CM represents the party in the upper House.

Samant, the minister of higher and technical education, said from Assam that he would speak his mind at 11 am on Monday. He took the charted route other rebels used to reach Guwahati. He went to Surat, Gujarat, from where he was airlifted in a chartered plane. The rebel group now has nine ministers, including two from allies.

‘No escape for the 16'

On Sunday, Sena counsel Devdutt Kamat told media persons that 16 MLAs could not escape disqualification because they had rejected the party's directives to attend the meeting. He said the claim of Shinde group having a two-third majority was not useful because that provision was for merging with other parties, not for forming a separate group.

Maharashtra minister Uday Samant before leaving for Guwahati, at Surat on Sunday. Pic/ANI

"The deputy speaker can disqualify them. The legislative party is formed by the original party that has elected MLAs. The party whip not just in the House but outside it could be the reason for disqualification. There are similar cases that have been decided by the speaker," he said, adding that the party's national executive has also endorsed the decision to disqualify them.

Kamat said the governor cannot intervene in the disqualification process and also in the petition to remove Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal which has been rejected on technical grounds. "It is because the House is not in session. There are the Supreme Court decisions that clarify this," he said.

Rebels move SC

The rebel group has moved the Supreme Court against deputy speaker to get the disqualification proceedings scrapped and petition for presiding officer's removal. The matter has been listed before a vacation bench for 10.30 am on Monday. Rebel group spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said they will prove that they are the real Shiv Sena.

‘Why aren't they here?'

NCP president Sharad Pawar has said in Delhi that he has asked his party colleague and Maharashtra home minister to ensure the protection of rebel MLAs' families.

He said the Sena was hopeful that many rebels would reconsider their stance and come back to the party fold. "We're with the Sena and the alliance. We will continue to support it," he added, wondering why the Shinde group hesitated to land in Mumbai despite having a two-third majority to break the MVA alliance as they wished.

Governor in action

COVID-affected Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who was discharged from the hospital on Sunday morning, is learnt to have sent his report to the Centre on the current political crisis. He also took cognisance of the rebel MLAs' appeal for protecting their families from attacks from the Sena cadre and wrote to the state police chief to ensure security as aggressive protests are being held across the state.

Meanwhile, the central government has provided its security force to protect the families of rebel Sena legislators in Maharashtra and also to the MLAs in Assam.

The governor's role will be keenly watched henceforth because he is expected to be approached by the rebels, the Opposition and the government, if need arises. His assessment of the political crisis, law and order and governance bears a lot of weight in such a situation. In the worst scenario, the government can recommend the President's rule in the state.

Also Read: Maharashtra political crisis: Rebelled against Shiv Sena's support to those having links with Dawood, says Eknath Shinde

Shinde offered CM post before rebellion

Shiv Sena leader and minister Aaditya Thackeray, who is on a whirlwind reach-out campaign, told one of the party gatherings that his father had offered Shinde the CM's post on May 20. "Exactly, one month later, the rebellion happened," he said.

16
No of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs facing disqualification