Five days after they rebelled against Shiv Sena president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, the Sena rebel faction, led by senior minister Eknath Shinde, began to face the heat on Saturday as Deputy Speaker Narhari Zhirwal issued notices to 16 Sena rebel MLAs, including Shinde.
The Deputy Speaker has sought explanations from them by the evening of June 27 on the representation made by the parent party seeking their disqualification for violating the party discipline.
Acting on the basis of a letter written by Shiv Sena’s chief whip Sunil Prabhu seeking their disqualification under The Members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1986, principal secretary of the Maharashtra Rajendra Bhagwat issued notices to 16 Sena rebel MLAs and asked them to submit written response before 5.30 pm on June 27 (Monday) supported by all the necessary documents.
“If the written response to the summons is not submitted in a given period, it would be considered as you have nothing to say over it. The office will initiate necessary action based on the complaint filed by Shiv Sena’s chip whip against you,” the notice stated.
On a day the parent outfit Shiv Sena passed five resolutions, including reaffirming confidence in the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and asking the rebel MLAs not to use the name of late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the rebel Sena group — which claims to have the support of 37 Sena MLAs out of the total 55 Sena MLAs in the State Assembly — floated a parallel Sena group named as “Shiv Sena Balasaheb”.
Apart from their leader Eknath Shinde, 15 other rebel Sena MLAs who have been issued show-cause notices by the office of Deputy Speaker are: Abdul Satar, Sandeep Bomre, Prakash Surve, Tanaji Sawant, Mahesh Shinde, Anil Babar, Yamini Jadhav, Sanjay Shirsat, Bharat Gogavale, Balaji Kinikaer, Lata Sonawane, Sadasarvankar, Prakash Ambedkar, Sanjay Raimulkar and Ramesh Bornare.
These 16 MLAs are among the 37 rebel Sena MLAs who have given a letter to the Deputy Speaker, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and secretary to the Maharashtra Legislature, re-affirming their confidence in the leadership of Eknath Shinde and saying that he would continue as the leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party till 2024.
The 37 Sena rebel MLAs (who account for more than the requisite two-third strength i.e, 36 MLAs out of total 55 Sena MLAs in the State Assembly) if they move out of the Shiv Sena en bloc will attract penal action under the anti-defection law.
However, if the Deputy Speaker disqualifies 16 Sena rebel MLAs, including Eknath Shinde, the development will result in the rebel Sena camp – the strength of which will be reduced to 21 MLAs against the earlier 37 MLAs, attracting action under the anti-defection law.
On its part, the rebel Sena camp played down the import of the notices issued to 16 rebel Sena MLAs.
“Yes, we have received notices from the office of Deputy Speaker. There is nothing to worry about. We will not be disqualified. We will respond to the notices. If need be, we will move the court against the notices issued by the Deputy Speaker,” rebel Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale said.
Rebel Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar, speaking on behalf of the Shinde camp, said that the rebel Sena MLAs were very much part of the Shiv Sena as it will not merge with any party and that they would set up a separate block of the party in the State Assembly.
“We are not going to merge with any political party. We will be setting up a separate block of the Shiv Sena in the State Assembly,” Kesarkar said.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the Shiv Sena’s national executive held under the chairmanship of Uddhav Thackeray adopted five political resolutions in the wake of a massive rebellion staged by senior party leader Eknath Shinde.
In the first of the resolutions, the Shiv Sena reposed full confidence in the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and it authorized to take all necessary decisions relating to the party. In other resolutions, the Sena functionaries present at the meeting empowered him to take the sternest possible action against the party rebels, and asked the party rebels not to misuse the name of late Bal Thackeray, the party will continue to represent the ideology of late Balasaheb and it would continue to champion Marathi asmita (self-respect) and would espouse the cause of Hindutva.
In a related development, the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs have alleged that the security cover of around 16 legislators – currently camping in Guwahati – has been abruptly withdrawn.
Dubbing the state government’s action of withdrawing the security of 16 rebel Sena MLAs as “illegal” and it smacked of vendetta politics, the affected rebel MLAs shot off a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Director-General of Police Rajnish Seth, and all police commissioners in the state.
Among other things, the rebel MLAs have expressed fear that a situation akin to Punjab where the security of several high-profile persons was withdrawn by their state government, might recur in Maharashtra. It may be recalled that rap singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu alias ‘Moosewala’ was killed in Punjab by the mafia in that state on May 29.
However, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil dismissed the rebels’ accusation asserting how “nobody’s security cover has been withdrawn” and said instructions have been issued to provide security to the family members as needed.
In their letter, the rebel MLAs have claimed that “this sinister move is another attempt to break our resolve and arm-twist us to give in to the demands of the MVA government consisting of NCP and INC goons”.
The rebel Sena MLAs have contended that the reason to give security is (due) to a threat and not which side of politics they are on, and pointed out that it was because of these unspecified threats they were forced to leave Maharashtra, and the MVA’s alleged actions have further compounded the situation.
The rebels have also charged the MVA leaders are allegedly instigating the cadres of their respective parties to indulge in violence against the breakaway MLAs and accused Sena MP Sanjay Raut of statements that incited the activists.
Demanding immediate reinstatement of their security detail, the rebel MLAs said warned that in case of any harm befell their families, then MVA leaders like CM Thackeray, Minister Aditya Thackeray, Chief Spokesperson Raut, and NCP President Sharad Pawar “will be responsible for the same”.