Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde with other MLAs during a meeting, in Guwahati, Wednesday, June 22, 2022.
Highlights
- Eknath Shinde supporters can make formal announcement regarding a new name for the group.
- Shinde is likely to name the team of his fellow rebel MLAs, as 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'
- Shiv Sena will be divided into two parts, the Balasaheb faction and the other (Uddhav) faction.
Maharashtra political crisis: In what could mean a major humiliation for Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is likely to name his group of rebel MLAs as 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'. Shinde may make a formal announcement regarding the same soon. All the MLAs - 37 rebel MLAs of the Sena and nine independents - are rebelling against the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, demanding to be separated from NCP and Congress.
According to experts, by naming the group after Bal Thackeray, Shinde is expecting that Shiv Sainiks will be emotionally connected to their faction.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena workers on Saturday vandalised an office of rebel Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant, who is currently in Guwahati as part of the Eknath Shinde camp. A group of Sena workers barged into the office of Bhairavnath Sugar Works, which belongs to Sawant, and damaged the office located in Katraj area in the morning, party corporate Vishal Dhanawade, who was part of the action, said.
"The ransacking of Sawant's office is just the beginning and the offices of every traitor (rebel MLA) will be destroyed in the coming days," he said.
Majority of Shiv Sena MLAs have shifted their loyalty to Eknath Shinde and are camping in Guwahati, plunging the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, into a crisis.
(Inputs from reporter Pawan Nara)
