Maharashtra Political Crisis: 15-20 rebel Sena MLAs in touch, urging us to bring them back to Mumbai, says Aaditya Thackeray

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said his party is ready for a "street fight and a legal battle", ahead of the crucial hearing in the Supreme Court against the disqualification notice issued by the Maharashtra Assembly's deputy speaker to rebel party MLAs. On his remarks made on Sunday that 40 bodies will come from Assam and will be sent directly to the morgue for postmortem, in a reference to the rebel MLAs, Raut said he was speaking about the "dead conscience" of the legislators and that they are "living corpses" now.

With the Centre providing Y-plus security to Maharashtra's rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, the party on Monday claimed it was now evident that the BJP was "pulling the strings" amid the current political turmoil in the state. An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' likened the rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde to "big bulls", and alleged that they have been "sold" for Rs 50 crore.

CM Uddhav Thackeray met with Shiv Sena MPs on Sunday in a meeting during which some urged the party chief to assess the scenario for the 2024 general elections and find a compromise formula that would keep the rebels’ demands in mind. Around 16 out of the 18 Sena Lok Sabha MPs attended the meeting. While all the MPs reposed faith in Thackeray’s leadership, some cautioned him to seek a middle path to avert a split in the Sena, keeping in mind electoral prospects in 2024.

The Supreme Court on Monday will take up petitions moved by rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde on Sunday, challenging the disqualification notices sent by Maharashtra deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal to them on June 21, saying that they represented misuse of the anti-defection law by a vengeful MVA coalition.Shinde in his writ petition said the deputy speaker has lost his position as the MVA government has been reduced to a minority and in such a situation, he has no authority to invoke provisions of the Members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on ground of Defection) Rules, 1986, and send notices to him and 15 other MLAs, which form part of the breakaway group of 38 Sena legislators.

Education minister Uday Samant, who switched to the rebel Shiv Sena camp on Sunday, was present at the party’s national executive a day earlier. He was part of the core group formed after the revolt and was privy to the leadership’s legal strategy. Sources say the one-time NCP leader has negotiated for a cabinet berth and guardian ministership of Ratnagiri in the new government. The rebel group will seek more time to respond to the 16 disqualification notices. The deadline is Monday evening. “We should be given one week’s time since this is not an emergency,” said rebel MLA Deepak Kesarkar. Meanwhile, BJP leader and Union minister Raosaheb Danve stirred the pot at a rally in Jalna. He said, “We will only remain in Opposition for 2-3 days. ” Governor B S Koshyari was discharged from hospital on Sunday morning after recovering from Covid. Sources say Eknath Shinde could return to the city later this week to meet him after the SC decides on their petitions.