Uddhav Thackeray

Addressing a press conference at Shiv Sena Bhavan, Thackeray also asked the BJP not to betray Mumbai like it betrayed him.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala was urged by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Prabhu, that the interim plea needed an urgent hearing due to the pendency of disqualification proceedings against 16 lawmakers including the chief minister.

In an emotional address on the night of June 29, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as Maharashtra Chief Minister and declared that he would meet party workers at the Sena Bhawan, the headquarters of the outfit in central Mumbai, indicating the tough road ahead to regain the lost ground to the rebellion.

It was a courtesy call as they had worked with Thackeray as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government for the last two-and-half years, said Congress leader Nitin Raut.

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Thackeray, considered a soft-spoken man vis-a-vis his aggressive father, took oath as the 18th chief minister under the tri-partite alliance in November 2019, the first in his family to hold a public office.

A chartered flight carrying the breakaway MLAs landed at the Dabolim airport in Goa on June 29 at night from Guwahati

Ravi, who has arrived in Mumbai on Thursday morning, will attend a meeting at 'Sagar' bungalow, the official residence of Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis with senior party leaders, including its state chief Chandrakant Patil. The BJP has also asked all of its MLAs to remain in Mumbai city till the next steps are taken, they said.

The process for the change of regime in the state, which began with the rebellion of around 40 of 55 Shiv Sena MLAs under Eknath Shinde's leadership, got a boost after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met Koshyari on Tuesday night and asked him to order a floor test of the Thackeray government, claiming it had lost majority.

Following Uddhav’s resignation, celebrations erupted in the BJP camp with party leaders distributing sweets and raising slogans at the legislative meeting in Taj Hotel, hailing Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, who was also Uddhav’s predecessor.

The Governor accepted the resignation and asked him to officiate as Chief Minister until alternate arrangement is made, Raj Bhavan sources said.

With Thackeray stepping down, speculations are rife that Fadnavis would be called to form the next government, as the rebel camp of Sena has also expressed its intent to ally with the BJP.

Senior members of the Shiv Sena, BJP and others have responded to the sudden turn of events

Governor Bhagat SIngh Koshyari had asked Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority in the assembly on June 30.

The result of the floor test, however, will be subject to the outcome of the apex court's decision in the case involving the disqualification notice issued to 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, the bench said.

Thackeray has been asked by the governor to prove his majority in the state assembly by June 30. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government has moved the Supreme Court to seek a stay, citing the disqualification petitions pending against the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs.

Gulabrao Patil is part of the rebellion launched by senior leader Eknath Shinde last week against the Sena. These legislators have been urging the Sena leadership to snap ties with the NCP and Congress that share power with their party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala took note of submissions of senior advocate A M Singhvi that an urgent hearing was needed in view of the decision taken by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asking the MVA government to prove majority at 11 am on Thursday.

The petition filed by Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu challenges the notice of Maharashtra Governor calling for a floor test in the state assembly on June 30.

The letter comes amid the rebellion in the ruling Shiv Sena by senior minister Eknath Shinde, who has been camping in Guwahati since last week with majority of party legislators and several independent MLAs, which has pushed the government led by Thackeray, who is also the Sena president, into a crisis.