Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai, June 25: The political crisis in Maharashtra grew worse on Saturday after the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly served a disqualification notice to 16 members of the Eknath Shinde camp. The renegade MLAs, including Shinde, have until Monday, June 27, to provide a response to the same.
Party spokesman Sanjay Raut made some significant remarks on the dissident MLAs during a crucial meeting with Shiv Sena officials in Maharashtra.
“We’ve passed 6 resolutions & have decided Shiv Sena will follow Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray & won’t compromise with the ideology of a united Maharashtra,” Raut said.
“Strict action is to be taken against those who have betrayed the party. CM Thackeray has the authority to take action against those who left. We’ll take legal action against those who have used Balasaheb Thackeray’s name for their self-centred politics. Those who have left can’t use our patriarch’s name. People will come to know what actions will be taken against those who have left the party by the evening. The work that CM Uddhav Thackeray has done is commendable. We will all fight the elections under his leadership,” he added.
“CM Uddhav Thackeray has said that the leaders who have left Shiv Sena should not ask for votes in the name of Shiv Sena and Balasaheb Thackeray. Ask for votes in the name of your father,” the Sena spokesperson said.
Notably, the rebel MLAs announced earlier in the day that they will call their group “Shiv Sena Balasaheb.”
Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkarhas earlier said that they are still part of the Shiv Sena party. He also stated that they have just separated their faction.
“We are still in Shiv Sena, there’s misunderstanding that we’ve left the party. We’ve just separated our faction. We’ve 2-3rd majority to follow the path we wanted. Our new leader chosen by majority. They didn’t have more than 16-17 MLAs,” he said.
“Recognition should be given to our faction, if it isn’t given, we’ll go to court and prove our existence & numbers. We’ve numbers, but we respect CM Uddhav Thackeray, we won’t speak against him. We must follow the path on which we fought Assembly elections,” Kesarkarhas added.