Fadnavis expected to be Maharashtra CM again, after Uddhav's resignation

|HT|

Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, tipped to become the chief minister of the state again, following the dramatic resignation of Uddhav Thackeray, on Wednesday said the future course of action will be decided and announced on Thursday. Fadnavis was at the Taj President hotel for a legislative meeting when Uddhav Thackeray resigned and the celebration started with the distribution of sweets. Slogans were raised in support of Fadnavis as the next chief minister. Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation from the chief minister's post during his Facebook Live which began at 9.30pm. Thackeray himself drove to Raj Bhavan and was accompanied by his son Aditya Thackeray. He briefly waved his hand as he submitted the resignation. He submitted his resignation to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari late at night. The Governor asked him to continue as the chief minister until the new government is formed.

After submitting his resignation, Uddhav Thackeray along with his son Aaditya Thackeray visited a temple.

The dissident MLAs who foisted the rebellion under the leadership of Eknath Shinde reached Goa from Guwahati at night. Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant reached Panaji's Taj Hotel.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday night urged the rebel MLAs to not to come to Mumbai now, as there will be no floor test on Thursday. They should come on the day of oath-taking, Patil said.

Chandrakant Patil said the next course of action will be taken by Devendra Fadmnavis and Eknath Shinde. Several rounds of meetings took place at night to decide BJP's next move. Rebel Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar said Eknath Shinde will address his MLAs staying in Goa in a meeting that will be held before they leave for Mumbai.

The political crisis of Maharashtra intensified on Wednesday after Governor BS Koshyari asked for the floor test to prove Uddhav Thackeray's majority. The Shiv Sena moved the Supreme Court against the floor test order but the top court did not stay the floor test. The rebel MLAs left Guwahati and reached Goa to take part in the floor test but meanwhile Uddhav announced his resignation.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)