Shiv Sena

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, representing Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, submitted that his client has questioned the authenticity of the motion seeking his removal, sent through an anonymous email. The top court noted that in all fairness, it should have all the records from the office of the Deputy Speaker before it and asked Zirwal to file a detailed affidavit.

A vacation comprising Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala asked senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the rebel MLAs, why they did not move the Bombay High Court. Kaul cited threats to the lives of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and their families, which made the atmosphere non-conducive to pursue cases in Mumbai.

The Sena rebels will stay in the Guwahati hotel for a few more days. Sources had earlier said their stay was booked up to June 28 which has now been extended up to June 30. Shine returned from Mumbai to the hotel on Friday Meanwhile, a video surfaced has where the rebel MLAs are seen celebrating the birthday of Sena legislator Narendra Bhondekar in the Radisson Blu.

Para 4 of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, the law on defection, says "the merger of the original political party of a member of a House shall be deemed to have taken place if, and only if, not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislature party concerned have agreed to such merger". It stressed that the merger has to be between two political parties.

The meeting is said to have taken place Thursday or Friday night. Local party sources were completely in the dark about the development and none of the office-bearers were in a position to confirm or deny such a meeting. According to sources from the Vadodara airport, two chartered flights and one BSF plane landed on Friday night. One chartered flight had flown from Delhi to Vadodara, which was carrying Eknath Shinde and another chartered flight landed from Mumbai carrying Devendra Fadanvis.

Of the 55 MLAs of Shiv Sena, two-thirds, that is more than 37 party MLAs, have owed allegiance to Shinde, who is now claiming that more than 40 MLAs of the party are firmly supporting him, and many more MLAs are likely to join him in the next few days. Accusing Uddhav Thackeray of abandoning the ideology of Hindutva, Shinde is now asserting his claim on Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy, the real Shiv Sena and even the party's election symbol.

The Shiv Sena has filed a petition with Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, seeking to disqualify 12 MLAs supporting Shinde's rebellion. The disqualification has been sought for flouting the Sena's Whip to attend a meeting of party legislators on Wednesday, said Sena MP Arvind Sawant.

"We are ready to walk out of the MVA, provided the rebels return to Mumbai within 24 hours and hold discussions with the Shiv Sena," Raut said, throwing yet another challenge to the group of rebels led by Minister Eknath Shinde. He called upon the rebels to stop communicating on social media or phone messages or letters or statements sitting in Assam, and like "true Shiv Sainiks" show the guts to come to Mumbai.

Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "The Congress stands by the MVA as it is doing developmental work." The Congress has called a meeting of its MLAs in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state President and Minister Jayant Patil ruled out the possibility of the CM demitting office and expressed optimism that the political crisis would soon be defused.

A senior functionary of the Sena said, "The magnitude of the rebellion is such that there are grim chances of survival, but we are engaging them and there are regular talks." The Sena leader said the only hope is that the party thinks that many MLAs don't want to go into election, so if they are disqualified for violating the party line they have to seek re-election. If half the MLAs return, then the government could survive.