Maharashtra political turmoil live | Uddhav Thackeray calls for an urgent meeting

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party trumped the MVA government in Legislative Council polls, the stability of the State government has come under question as senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde reportedly left Mumbai along with his group of MLAs to be stationed at Surat in Gujarat

The Maharashtra council polls for 10 seats resulted in a nail-biting finish with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yet again trumping over tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) - after the Rajya Sabha polls - by winning five out of ten seats. In what could be an alarming situation for the State government, three MLAs each from Congress and Shiv Sena cross-voted in a secret ballot held on Monday.

Following the results of the polls, Sena leader and MVA Minister Eknath Shinde is said to have taken 11 party MLAs with him in what seems likely to be a rebellion within the saffron party against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In Monday’s council poll, a total of 12 Sena MLAs cross-voted in favour of BJP candidates.

Sources in Surat confirmed that over a dozen legislators from Maharashtra have been lodged at the Le Meridien Hotel. “The legislators checked in late last night,“ the sources said adding that there is heavy police deployment in the area where the hotel is located.

Here are the latest updates

In view of Maharashtra Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde going incommunicado and apparently camping in Gujarat along with some party MLAs after the State Legislative Council polls, a Maharashtra Congress minister on Tuesday claimed there was unrest in the Sena since about a week.

However, state NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal said he does not feel that there is a threat to the Maharashtra Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. - PTI

CM Uddhav Thackeray has called for an urgent meeting of party MLAs as Senior minister Eknath Shinde has reportedly reached Surat to along with his supporter MLAs.