Tag: Uddhav Thackeray

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Uddhav Thackeray takes on Fadnavis

The former CM was addressing party workers in Pune on Saturday. He was accompanied by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut…reports Asian Lite News

Ahead of the Assembly polls in Maharashtra, former CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and said that the battle is in the field and in Mumbai, either he would stay or the BJP.

The former CM was addressing party workers in Pune on Saturday. He was accompanied by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.

Uddhav Thackeray said, “Now the battle is in the field, I said in Mumbai ‘either I stay or you stay’. Here is a poster. In the photo, a Kalingad (Uddhav Thackeray calls Devendra Fadnavis watermelon) is placed at my feet. Some thought I challenged him (Devendra Fadnavis). But, you don’t challenge the clods, you have to crush them with your finger. You are not big enough for me to challenge.”

Slamming former CM Devendra Fadnavis called the BJP a group of robbers.

He further said, “Some thought I challenged him…Also, we should understand who I am and who he (Devendra Fadnavis) is. I am cultured Maharashtra and you are the group of robbers.”

This comes in the wake of the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The state is likely to go to poll for the 288-member legislative assembly later this year, as the tenure of the current government ends in 2024.

However, the Election Commission is yet to announce the dates.

The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state.

The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won seven and one seats respectively, taking the total tally of the NDA to 17. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) got nine seats while the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar won eight seats.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Shaina NC strongly hit back at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over his ‘power jihad’ jibe and said that it was a ‘childish’ statement to make.

Reacting to the statement, BJP leader Shaina NC said, “What a childish statement this is. In a democracy, it is the voter that decides victory and defeat and let’s not forget that Uddhav Thackeray should be reminded of how his MPs got elected in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name.”

The BJP leader also claimed that Thackeray tried to ‘backstab’ the BJP when he was in power despite getting the votes on PM Modi’s name by hatching a conspiracy.

“When he was the chief minister he chose to backstab the BJP despite getting the votes on PM Modi’s name by hatching a conspiracy and then saying that he would put Devendra Fadnavis in jail. Did Devendra Fadnavis go to jail? Absolutely not. Because it is the people’s blessings that these kind of statements do not succeed,” she said.

She further attacked Uddhav Thackeray and said, “Also, understand when you have Pakistani flags that are seen at Thackeray’s meetings in Nashik and Mumbai it shows what their ideology is. Balasaheb Thackeray would have never gone with the Congress for power.”

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MUMBAI DIARY: The Future Hinges on Results

Uddhav Thackeray’s popularity graph has grown up tremendously in the state and also at national level. As political observers feels that Maharashtra and Mumbai can play a crucial role of “King Maker” in the formation of the government … writes VINOD RAGHAVAN

INDIA’s financial capital – Mumbai is all set to decide the fate of three heavyweight political leaders’ their future on June 4th.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is eyeing to break the record of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru by occupying the country’s top post for the third consecutive term, is not leaving any stone unturned. While, his close ally turned bitter foe Uddhav Thackeray, who has been bruised and badly hurted for breaking his Shiv Sena, which was founded by his late father, who is popularly addressed as Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray, in his home turf Mumbai capital of Maharashtra state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uddhav Thackeray interacting during the Dwishatabdi Mahotsav (200 Years) of Mumbai Samachar, in Mumbai. (File Photo: ANI)

Political veteran 84-year-old, Sharad Pawar, is all set to take revenge against Modi-led BJP for engineering split in his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and dividing his joint family, with Ajit Pawar taking away his party symbol of “Wrist Watch” and also the party symbol, which was founded by senior Pawar after leaving Congress party.

Mumbai, has six Lok Sabha seats, which is believed to be the stronghold of the united Shiv Sena. After the split in Sena led by Eknath Shinde with 40 MLAs and 13 MPs, the power equation shifted to the Shinde faction supported by BJP in Maharashtra. This is the time for Uddhav Thackeray to flex his muscle and to show Modi-Shah and also to the Election Commission of India, that the party cadres and the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra are with him and his is the real Shiv Sena.

Shiv Sena was founded way back in 1960s by Balasaheb Thackeray to fight for the causes of Marathi Asmita (Maharashtra’s pride) and to regain the Maharashtrian pride, Uddhav has toured every nook and corner of Maharashtra with his alliance partners NCP-Sharad Pawar group, Indian National Congress with other smaller parties, addressed in all the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies with huge rallies and systematically played the victim card vigorously, which has gone down well with the masses of Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray speaks during the floor test in assembly, Eknath Shinde, Jayant Patil and Aditya Thackeray is also seen. (File Photo: ANI)

Many old-timers from Mumbai and neighbouring Thane district feels that Uddhav has been back-stabbed by BJP-led by Modi-Shah. Shiv Sena which helped BJP for nearly three decades to grow from 2 MP party with Vajpayee and Advani at the helm, today they have become too big for their shoes.

In desperation, Modi addressed around 25 rallies in Maharashtra and Mumbai, also held a Road Show in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, which shows his panic. Modi might have realised Uddhav’s importance, thus recently, he told selected journalists that “I will be the first to reach Uddhav for any help” but while addressing public rallies, he takes potshot on Uddhav and also calls his Sena as “Nakli Sena” (Duplicate Sena) 

Earlier, in 2014 and 2019 BJP with united Shiv Sena the combine had sweeped all the six Mumbai seats and also the neighboring Thane and Kalyan-Dombivali seats were in their kitty. While, the alliance had bagged 42 seats from Maharashtra in 2014 and 2019.

Interestingly, political observers feels that Uddhav, got good support from the people of Maharashtra and also Muslim communities are whole-heartedly supporting him, as they have seen him in discharging his duties as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Communists were Sena’s bitter rivals for decades, are also supporting Uddhav openly and sharing dias in many of their strongholds, with a sole aim of stopping Modi to come back to power for the third time, as they fear that he will change the Constitution and will sell off all the government properties to his good friends.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in conversation with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP) chief Sharad Pawar during the INDIA bloc joint press conference, in Mumbai. (ANI Photo)

NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, is also facing the same problem, as his nephew Ajit Pawar, ditched him and fielded his wife Sunetra against Supriya Sule, a sitting MP and senior Pawar’s daughter from their stronghold Baramati near Pune.

Modi, who was seen as a new ray of hope in 2014 and 2019 with his charisma and speech, looks like he is fading as he has remained mum on his earlier poll promises of giving every year two crore jobs, bringing black money,  giving Rs15 lakh, price rise of essential commodities. However, he is talking about his vision of 2047 and to make India powerful nation globally.

People burst into laughter to Uddhav Thackeray calling Modi as “Gajini” Aamir Khan’s film, where he forgets and moves ahead with new promises.

Uddhav Thackeray’s popularity graph has grown up tremendously in the state and also at national level. As political observers feels that Maharashtra and Mumbai can play a crucial role of “King Maker” in the formation of the government.

ALSO READ: Close to 9% drop in voter turnout in Maharashtra phase 4 polls

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Thackeray sacks Shinde as ‘Shiv Sena Leader’

Eknath Shinde

On anticipated lines, the Shiv Sena ‘removed’ the new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a ‘Shiv Sena Leader’ for indulging in ‘anti-party’ activities, the party confirmed here on Saturday.

In a terse letter to Shinde on Thursday, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, who quit as Chief Minister on June 29, said: “You have been indulging in anti-party activities and have voluntarily given up your membership of Shiv Sena.”

Accordingly, in exercise of the powers vested in him as the ‘Shivsena Paksha Pramukha’, Thackeray said he has removed Shinde as a Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation.

The party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’ Group of publications have highlighted and confirmed the development in their editions on Saturday amid speculation it could trigger a bigger struggle to control the 56-year-old party and its assets.

There are 11 Shiv Sena leaders in the top party hierarchy who plan out major policy decisions giving a direction to the party, and the move was taken as per certain precedents.

The possibility of a similar fate awaiting the other 39 MLAs who joined the Shinde-led rebellion on June 20, is not ruled out, after it created an unprecedented political crisis in the state and led to the collapse of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Thursday.

On Friday, Thackeray dismissively said that a person who ‘sidelined’ the Sena could not be called a ‘Shiv Sena Chief Minister’, as contended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and the rebels group, though Shinde’s supporters are unfazed.

Uddhav Thackeray

While Thackeray resigned as Chief Minister on June 29 after 31 months in power, the Sena ‘rebel’ Shinde was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as the surprise Deputy Chief Minister on Thursday.

The new government has been ordered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to seek a ‘vote of confidence’ in a Special Legislative Assembly session to be held on July 3-4.

ALSO READ: Shinde takes oath as Maharashtra CM

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Constitution, Governor and the Sena imbroglio

A question which emerges in this political imbroglio – when would Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari call for a floor test…reports Asian Lite News

The ongoing tussle in Maharashtra between rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s faction and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is poised for an intriguing climax, where the Governor’s role is extremely crucial in establishing political stability in the state.

Apparently, the odds are against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which is on the brink of collapse. However, Shinde’s camp received a setback after the Assembly’s Deputy Speaker rejected the no-confidence motion moved by them against him and recently, Shiv Sena’s Executive Committee authorised Thackeray to take action against the rebel MLAs.

A question which emerges in this political imbroglio – when would Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari call for a floor test.

Post the rebellion in the ranks, Shiv Sena indicated at suggesting dissolution of the Assembly and the Deputy Speaker issued notices to the 16 rebel MLAs on the disqualification plea by Thackeray’s team. The Supreme Court judgments in such scenarios mandate the Governor to allow an opportunity to a party, which stakes claim to form the government.

Articles in the Constitution outline the power of the Governor, especially Article 174, which is a crucial provision. Article 174 (1) says the Governor shall, from time to time, summon the House or each House of the legislature of the state to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. Article 174 (2) (a) authorises the Governor to prorogue the House from time to time, while Article 174 (2) (b) empowers the Governor to dissolve the Legislative Assembly.

Article 163 (1) says Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions. However, Article 163 (2) says, “If any question arises whether any matter is or is not a matter as respects which the Governor is by or under this Constitution required to act in his discretion, the decision of the Governor in his discretion shall be final, and the validity of anything done by the Governor shall not be called in question on the ground that he ought or ought not to have acted in his discretion.”

Various Supreme Court judgments also help in having a clarity on the power of the Governor, when confronted with a political crisis, like the one ongoing in Maharashtra.

In the S.R. Bommai (1994) and Rameshwar Prasad (2006) cases, the apex court consistently maintained that the Governor should do a floor test to test the government’s majority support. In Rameshwar Prasad, it said: “If a political party with the support of other political party or other MLAs stakes claim to form a government and satisfies the Governor about its majority to form a stable government, the Governor cannot refuse formation of government and override the majority claim because of his subjective assessment that the majority was cobbled by illegal and unethical means.”

“No such power has been vested with the Governor. Such a power would be against the democratic principles of majority rule.”

In the 2016 judgment in Nebam Rabia vs Deputy Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh, the apex court considered whether the Governor must exercise this power in his discretion or on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. “In a situation where the Governor has reasons to believe, that the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers have lost the confidence of the House, it is open to the Governor, to require the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers to prove their majority in the House, by a floor test. Only in a situation, where the government in power on the holding of such floor test is seen to have lost the confidence of the majority, it would be open to the Governor to exercise the powers vested with him under Article 174 at his own, and without any aid and advice,” noted the top court in its 2016 judgment.

In Shivraj Singh Chouhan vs Speaker Madhya Pradesh (2020), the apex court said: “In a situation where the Governor has reasons to believe that the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister has lost the confidence of the House, constitutional propriety requires that the issue be resolved by calling for a floor test. The Governor in calling for a floor test cannot be construed to have acted beyond the bounds of constitutional authority.”

In Madhya Pradesh, the MLAs in the Jyotiraditya Scindia camp defected to the BJP. The then Congress Chief Minister Kamal Nath asked the Governor to dissolve the Assembly. However, the Governor called for a floor test.

During the Karnataka political crisis in 2018 and Maharashtra political crisis in 2019, the apex court ordered floor tests.

In 2013, the top court in judgment in R.A. Mehta’s case pointed out there may be a situation where the Council of Ministers may advise the Governor to dissolve a House, which may be detrimental to the interests of the nation. “In such circumstances, the Governor would be justified in refusing to accept the advice rendered to him, and act in his discretion. There may even be circumstances where ministerial advice is not available at all, i.e., the decision regarding the choice of Chief Minister under Article 164(1), which involves choosing a Chief Minister after a fresh election, or in the event of the death or resignation of the Chief Minister, or dismissal of the Chief Minister, who loses majority in the House and yet refuses to resign, or agree to dissolution. The Governor is further not required to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers, where some other body has been referred for the purpose of consultation i.e., Article 192(2) as regards decisions on questions related to the disqualification of members of the state Legislature,” said the top court.

Against the backdrop of a series of Supreme Court judgments ordering floor tests to test the government’s majority, it would be interesting to see what decision Koshyari takes to defuse the political uncertainty in the state.

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