Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will be chairing a meeting of Maha Vikas Aghadi today at 6 pm at Vidhan Bhavan.
This will be Thackeray's maiden meeting months after the collapse of his three-party alliance government. after current CM Eknath Shinde rebelled with a herd of rebel MLAs joined hands with Sena's former ally BJP to form government in Maharashtra.
During the meeting Thackeray will also reiterate that MVA (comprising of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress) exists and it will be further strengthened to take on Shinde-Fadnavis govt key issues.
The meeting is being held after the Supreme Court referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena in connection with the Maharashtra political crisis.
A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli referred the petitions to a five-judge bench and said the case will be heard on August 25 by the bench.
The top court also ordered the Election Commission of India not to decide till August 25 the application filed by Maharashtra's Chief Minister Eknath Shinde camp for recognition as the 'real Shiv Sena' party and allotment of the bow and arrow symbol to it.
Thackeray vs Shinde:
Uddhav Thackeray-led camp of Shiv Sena had sought stay on the proceedings before the Election Commission of India on Eknath Shinde group's claim for recognition as the 'real' Shiv Sena.
They had also challenged the newly appointed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker's action recognising the whip of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde group as the whip of Shiv Sena. The plea said the newly appointed Speaker has no jurisdiction to recognise whips nominated by Shinde as Uddhav Thackeray is still the head of Shiv Sena official party.
Thackeray camp's Sunil Prabhu had filed a plea seeking suspension from Maharashtra Assembly of new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending.
The Shinde group challenged 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, is also pending before the apex court.
On June 29, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. Refusing to stay the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30, the bench had issued notice on Prabhu's plea against floor test.
After the apex court's order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.
