From resort politics to Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation: Maharashtra political crisis in 10 points

Thackeray’s resignation came after a week of high drama, where a group of 39 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, led by minister Eknath Shinde, camped at luxury hotels outside Maharashtra.

Here’s what happened in Maharashtra this week:

1. The crisis began on June 21 after suspected cross-voting in the Legislative Council elections. Soon after, Thackeray called for an urgent meeting of Shiv Sena MLAs. At the meeting, Sena leader Eknath Shinde and 11 MLAs were untraceable. What followed was a week of resort politics’, with the missing Sena leaders found camping in luxury hotels in Surat, Guwahati and now in Goa.

2. The next day, in a 17-minute-long webcast, Thackeray said he was ready to step down as Chief Minister. “I am ready to resign as the chief minister of Maharashtra but our rebelled MLAs should make chief minister from them only. The chief minister should be from Shiv Sena only. We are emotionally attached and cannot see anyone leaving us,” Thackeray said.

3. As more Shiv Sena MLAs joined his faction, which later came to be known as the ‘Shiv Sena Balasaheb’, Shinde demanded a floor test in Maharashtra, alleging that the MVA alliance is no longer in majority. The rebel MLAs demanded Thackeray’s resignation.

4. Later that week, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar convened a meeting with all three MVA coalition partners and reassured senior leaders that they could collectively weather the storm.

5. In a bid to regain control of his party, Uddhav Thackeray chaired a meeting Saturday of the party national executive which authorised him to take all decisions related to the party. Six resolutions were passed including the decision not to allow anyone other than the Shiv Sena to use the name of Balasaheb Thackeray, and to take strict action against the rebel MLAs.

6. In their first press conference, the Shiv Sena rebel camp claimed that they will not be returning to Maharashtra in view of the violence unleashed there and asked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to ensure that security is provided to their residences and offices. Stray instances of violence against properties and offices owned by some of the rebel MLAs have been reported in Maharashtra.

7. Amid rising political turmoil, the union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) granted central security cover to 15 rebel MLAs.

8. On Monday, the Supreme Court granted interim relief to the rebel MLAs who had been asked by Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal to reply by Monday evening to notices on pleas seeking their disqualification from the Assembly. The apex court granted them time until July 12 to send their replies.

9. On Wednesday, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to prove its majority on the floor of the House on Thursday and convened a special session of the state Assembly at 11 am.

10. The rebel faction of Shiv Sena arrived in Goa amid heavy security cover, minutes after Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as Chief Minister of Maharashtra Wednesday evening.