Thackeray moving back to his private home, but will remain CM: Sena MP Raut

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said Uddhav Thackeray will remain the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the ruling coalition MVA will prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly if needed

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said Uddhav Thackeray will remain the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the ruling coalition MVA will prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly if needed, an assertion coming in the backdrop of rebellion by senior Cabinet member Eknath Shinde that has put a question mark on the stability of the state government.

Talking to reporters here, Raut said Thackeray is leaving 'Varsha', the official residence of the CM in South Mumbai, and going back to his private residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra. Thackeray is not resigning from his post, he clarified. "We will prove our majority on the floor of the House if required," the Sena's chief spokesperson said. He rejected reports that NCP president Sharad Pawar had asked Thackeray to make Sena rebel leader Shinde the CM to save the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Pawar did not give any advice to Thackeray and instead said the MVA will fight the political crisis together till the end, Raut said. Pawar, whose party is the second largest constituent of the Sena-led MVA, is the chief architect of the governing coalition which assumed office in November 2019. The Congress is also a part of the MVA.