Eknath Shinde-led Sena MLAs bring down Uddhav Thackeray's govt, all eyes now on Fadnavis - Here's how Maharashtra political crisis unfolded

The Maharashtra political crisis started with the rebellion of around 40 Shiv Sena MLAs under cabinet minister Eknath Shinde's leadership.

New Delhi: Putting an end to a week-long drama of resort politics, where Maharashtra cabinet minister Eknath Shinde and other rebel Shiv Sena MLAs stayed in luxury hotels in two BJP-ruled states, Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday (June 29) resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister. The 62-year-old Shiv Sena president tendered his resignation minutes after Supreme Court refused to stay Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's direction to the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a floor test in the Assembly on Thursday.

Here's a look at how Maharashtra political crisis unfolded:

Process for change of regime started with rebellion of Eknath Shinde-led camp 

The process for the change of regime in Maharashtra started with the rebellion of around 40 of 55 Shiv Sena MLAs under Eknath Shinde's leadership last week. They camped in a posh hotel in Gujarat's Surat immediately after the Maharashtra MLC election results and then stayed in Assam's Guwahati for several days to decide their political strategy.

Devendra Fadnavis meets Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Maharashtra's political crisis escalated after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday (June 28). Fadnavis had asked Koshyari to order a floor test of the two-and-a-half-year-old MVA government, claiming it had lost the majority.

Maharashtra Guv calls for a special session of Assembly to hold a floor test

As the rebellion in the Shiv Sena by senior minister Eknath Shinde and other MLAs continued, Koshyari on Wednesday called for a special session of the Assembly on June 30 to hold a floor test of the Uddhav Thackeray government.

"A special session of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha (legislative Assembly) shall be summoned on June 30 (Thursday) at 11 am with the only agenda of a trust vote against the chief minister, and the proceedings shall be concluded in any case by 5 pm," Koshyari had written to Maharashtra Legislature's Principal Secretary in a letter dated June 28. 

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has written to state Assembly secretary to convene a special session of the State Assembly on June 30, with the only agenda of a trust vote against CM Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/9M5htIIE9R — ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2022

Sanjay Raut terms Maharashtra Guv's order for a floor test as 'unlawful', MVA moves SC

Subsequently, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut termed the Maharashtra Governor's order for a floor test as "unlawful" and the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the coalition of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, approached the Supreme Court against the floor test.

Floor of house only way to settle these issues of democracy: SC 

While hearing Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu's plea against Maharashtra Governor's direction for a floor test, the Supreme Court observed that the floor of the House is the only way to settle these issues of democracy. A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala asked senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sunil Prabhu, how can the floor test impact the disqualification process or interfere with the powers of the speaker to conduct disqualification proceeding.

Uddhav Thackeray resigns as Maharashtra CM

Minutes after the Supreme Court refused to stay Maharashtra Governor's direction to the MVA government to take a floor test in the Assembly, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned from his post. 

मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव ठाकरे यांनी आज राज्यपाल भगतसिंह कोश्यारी यांची राजभवन येथे भेट घेऊन मुख्यमंत्री पदाचा राजीनामा त्यांचेकडे सुपूर्द केला.

राज्यपाल कोश्यारी यांनी उद्धव ठाकरे यांचा राजीनामा स्वीकारला असून पर्यायी व्यवस्था होईपर्यंत पदाचा कार्यभार सांभाळण्यास सांगितले आहे. pic.twitter.com/0o1Jzrm0pW — Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) June 29, 2022

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray tendered the resignation of his post to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan Mumbai.

The Governor accepted the resignation and asked Shri Thackeray to officiate as Chief Minister until alternate arrangements are made. pic.twitter.com/lK1lgR5Jhg — Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) June 29, 2022

During a webcast, the Shiv Sena chief said that he was "not interested" in playing the numbers' game and also informed that he is quitting as a member of the Legislative Council. Thackeray said he had no regret in leaving his post.

"Let the rebels who grew politically because of Shiv Sena and Balasaheb Thackeray get joy and satisfaction of pulling down his son from the post of chief minister," Uddhav Thackeray was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

"I don't want to get into the numbers' game. It would be shameful for me to see if even one of my own party colleagues stands against me," he said.

Thackeray thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar for their cooperation and support while running the MVA government.

आज मी आपल्या सगळ्यांच्या समोर मुख्यमंत्री पदाचा त्याग करत आहे..
आज पर्यंत खूप प्रेम, आशीर्वाद दिले.. pic.twitter.com/0XXs5ZHSOg — Office of Uddhav Thackeray (@OfficeofUT) June 29, 2022

"Congress leader Ashok Chavan told me that if the rebels want, Congress would get out of the government and extend outside support. Those who were expected to ditch me, stood by me while my own left me," he expressed.

All eyes are now on the return of a BJP-led government as it is the single-largest party in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly with 106 MLAs. Leader of the Opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, who met BJP's top brass twice in a week in Delhi, is most likely to be sworn in as the Maharashtra Chief Minister for the third time.