Uddhav says Shinde must quit, CM Shinde claims his govt lega

MUMBAI : Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray sought the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on moral grounds following the Supreme Court ruling on the 2022 political crisis in the state on Thursday, a demand swiftly rejected by top ruling coalition leaders, as rival camps claimed vindication of their positions after the much-awaited verdict. The judgment reinstates trust in democracy, said Thackeray, who was the chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising his group, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress, and resigned in June 2022 after a rebellion in the undivided Shiv Sena, triggering a political crisis in the state.On the other hand, Shinde said he staked claim to form the government within the legal and constitutional framework and it has now got the stamp of the Supreme Court. Addressing a news conference here, Thackeray lambasted the role of the then-Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari who had called upon him to face a trust vote following the rebellion by a section of Shiv Sena MLAs. Thackeray quit without facing a trust vote in the Assembly, paving the way for Shinde to take over as CM on June 29, 2022, with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Fadnavis as his deputy. “The Supreme Court’s judgement has exposed the dirty politics carried out for power. The most important part is that the role of governor has been criticised,” the former CM said. The SC on Thursday held it cannot restore the then-MVA government led by Thackeray as he resigned without facing a floor test, meaning Shinde will continue as the chief minister of Maharashtra.