Maharashtra crisis: BJP holds core committee meeting at Fadnavis' residence

A core committee meeting of the BJP's Maharashtra unit was held on Monday to discuss the state's political situation amid the crisis faced by the MVA govt due to the revolt in Shiv Sena

A core committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Maharashtra unit was held on Monday to discuss the state's political situation amid the crisis faced by the MVA government due to the revolt in Shiv Sena.

The BJP has decided that the party will follow the "wait and watch" approach.

The meeting was held at the residence of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil and other BJP leaders.

"BJP core committee meeting was held. After the Supreme Court's order, the state's political situation was assessed and discussed. Eknath Shinde said that his faction is the original Shiv Sena, this too was discussed. We discussed what role should we assume in future in the current scenario," Sudhir Mungantiwar told reporters after the meeting.

"After discussion, it was decided that we will wait and watch and a core team will come for a meeting once again, depending on the situation in the coming days. BJP will then take a decision in the interest of the people, in the interest of Maharashtra," he added.

In a jolt to Uddhav Thackeray camp, Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant joined the party rebels led by Eknath Shinde at Guwahati on Sunday

The Shiv Sena camp led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the rebel group have been seeking to outmanoeuvre each other. While the Thackeray group removed Shinde as leader of the legislative party and appointed a new chief whip, supporters of Shinde wrote to the state Governor that he continues to be the leader of the Shiv Sena legislature group. They also appointed a chief whip.

The battle between the groups has now reached the Supreme Court which on Monday granted interim relief to Shinde and other MLAs to file their reply to disqualification notices issued to them by the Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly by July 12, 5.30 pm.

Earlier, the Deputy Speaker had granted them time to file a reply by Monday, 5.30 pm.

A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala, in its order, said, "As an interim measure, the time granted by the Deputy Speaker, to the petitioners or other similarly placed MLAs to submit their submissions today by 5.30 pm, stands extended till July 12. The petitioners or other MLAs are at liberty to submit their reply without prejudice to their rights in the writ petition."

The apex court was hearing the petitions filed by the Shinde group challenging the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker to 16 rebel MLAs as well as the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader.

The bench also issued notices to the Deputy Speaker, Secretary of Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly, the Centre, Ajay Chaudhary, and Sunil Prabhu and asked them to file a reply within five days.On the request of providing security to 39 MLAs alleging threats to them, the Supreme Court recorded the statement of the standing counsel of the Maharashtra government, Rahul Chitnis, that adequate steps have already been taken and the state government will further ensure that no harm is caused to the life, liberty, property of the MLAs.

During the hearing, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul appearing for Eknath Shinde and others told the Supreme Court that the Deputy Speaker cannot proceed with the disqualification proceedings when the resolution seeking his removal is pending.