The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, reached Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening as the two-day session of the Maharashtra Assembly is set to begin on Sunday. The session will see election of the new Speaker and a floor test of the new government.
Security had been tightened at the airport to avoid any untoward incident against the backdrop of protests by Shiv Sena cadres in the recent past. After landing in Mumbai, the rebel MLAs would be staying in a hotel before they attend the special session on Sunday morning.
Shinde took oath as the new chief minister with the backing of the BJP on Thursday a day after Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the post without facing the floor test. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.
As many as 50 MLAs who support Shinde, including 39 rebel legislators of the Shiv Sena, were camping at a Guwahati hotel befoe moving to a resort in Goa on Wednesday anticipating a floor test in the Assembly the next day. However, Thackeray, whose government was on the brink of collapse ever since Shinde launched the massive revolt, resigned in the night itself realising that he lacked the requisite numbers in the 288-member House .
Earlier in the day, Sena MLA and Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi filed his nomination as the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP- Congress coalition for the Speaker's election. He will face off with first-time BJP legislator Rahul Narvekar who also filed his nomination. On July 4, newly sworn-in Chief Minister Shinde will take a floor test.
Thackeray has sacked Shinde from the post of 'Shiv Sena leader' and accused him of indulging in anti-party activities. The Shinde camp retorted saying that they will challenge the order in court.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 11 the plea of Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu seeking suspension from the assembly of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending.
