How MVA govt plunged into a crisis: A timeline

On the other hand, the party has appealed to Shinde and his supporters to return to Maharashtra with CM Uddhav Thackeray stating that he is willing to step down if that is what his party wants.

Here is a timeline of the ongoing political crisis that began from the wee hours of Tuesday morning. (Descending order)

–BJP’s Maharashtra unit chief Chandrakant Patil asserted that his party did not play any role in the ongoing political crisis but admits that Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis visited Delhi on Thursday “for some work”, without divulging any details.

–Shiv Sena minister and MP Sanjay Raut admitted that the party’s numbers in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly have dwindled, but expressed confidence that the rebel MLAs will support the MVA combine during the floor test.

–All 37 rebel Sena MLAs who are camping in Guwahati sent a letter to Maharashtra Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, stating that Shinde will remain their group leader in the legislature.

–Raut said his party is open to considering quitting the ruling alliance if the rebel MLAs camping in Assam return and discuss their grievances with CM Uddhav Thackeray.

–NCP president Sharad Pawar said the fate of the MVA government will be decided on the floor of the Assembly, and the MVA will prove its majority in a trust vote.

–Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab appears before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai for the third day in a row in connection with a money laundering case.

–Six MLAs and an MLC from Gujarat arrived in neighbouring Gujarat’s Surat city, later flew to Guwahati.

–Shinde says a “national party” has termed their revolt “historic” and assured to provide all help to them.

–The NCP asserted it will do all it can to save ruling alliance MVA and was firmly with Uddhav.

–Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP and the Centre of attempting to destabilise the MVA government to form its own government and get the numbers for the upcoming presidential election.

–The opposition Trinamool Congress in Assam held a massive protest outside the luxury hotel in Guwahati where dissident Shiv Sena MLAs from Maharashtra are camping.

–Shiv Sena MLA Kailas Patil, who had escaped from a car carrying rebel legislators to Surat, claimed some of those taken to the camp led by Shinde might be wanting to return.

–Congress said it does not want to interfere in Sena’s “internal matter” but asserted confidence in Uddhav.

–Uddhav on Wednesday night vacated his official residence in south Mumbai and moved to a family home in suburban Bandra.

–A BJP leader from Delhi filed a complaint against Uddhav for allegedly violating COVID-19 related protocols by meeting his supporters while heading to his personal residence from his official house.

–Raut says Uddhav will remain the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the ruling coalition MVA will prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly if needed.

–Shinde said ruling MVA  was an “unnatural alliance” and it was imperative for his party to walk out of the coalition for its own sake and that of party workers.

–Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh claimed that some people had forcibly admitted him to a hospital  and he was administered injections.

–Shinde claimed that he has the support of 34 MLAs of his party and passes a resolution reinstating himself as the leader of the Shiv Sena legislative party.

–Sena hinted at dissolution of the Assembly.

–AICC observer Kamal Nath met Pawar in Mumbai.

–Sena asked all its MLAs in Maharashtra, including the rebels accompanying Shinde, to attend a legislature party meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday evening or face action under the anti-defection law.

–Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh returned to his home state of Maharashtra with five other partymen.

–Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said Uddhav has made it clear that there was no proposal to recommend dissolution of the state Assembly.

–Shinde asserted that 40 MLAs have accompanied him to Guwahati.

–Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was admitted to a private hospital in south Mumbai after testing Coronavirus positive.

–A group of 40 Maharashtra MLAs, led by Shinde, arrived in Guwahati and were taken to a luxury hotel on the outskirts of the city.

–Sena housed its MLAs in different hotels in Mumbai

–Hundreds of Shiv Sena workers gathered outside the Shiv Sena headquarters in Mumbai to express solidarity with party president Uddhav.

–Two leaders of Shiv Sena dispatched by Uddhav met and held a detailed discussion with Shinde and other MLAs at a hotel in Surat to defuse the crisis.

–Chandrakant Patil said some MLAs of the BJP will meet Shinde camping in a Surat hotel in their “personal capacity”.

–Pawar alleged that a third attempt is being made to pull down the MVA government.

–Shinde and some MLAs of his party went incommunicado and found camping in Surat.

–Party legislator Nitin Deshmukh’s wife filed a police complaint of her husband going ‘missing’

–Congress deputed Kamal Nath as AICC observer in the state.

–Shinde and some other Shiv Sena MLAs from the state found camping at a hotel in Gujarat’s Surat city.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)