Uddhav Thackeray expels Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde from Shiv Sena

In a letter addressed to Shinde, Thackeray said that Shinde was being expelled for indulging in 'anti-party activities". The letter was drafted the day Shinde took oath as chief minister. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took the oath with him as deputy chief minister.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has expelled Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the party. In a letter addressed to Shinde, Thackeray said that Shinde was being expelled for indulging in 'anti-party activities".

To note, Shinde has time and again reiterated that he and the MLAs who rebelled against the former Maha Vikas Aghadi government, are 'Shiv Sainiks of Balasaheb Thackeray'.

He had told media persons that their intention was not to deliver a blow to Shiv Sena or Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde has also "voluntarily" given up the party's membership.

"In exercise of powers vested in me as Shiv Sena party president, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation," said Uddhav's letter to Shinde dated June 30. 

The letter was drafted the day Shinde took oath as chief minister. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took the oath with him as deputy chief minister.

Thackeray, who headed the MVA government with support from Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress, resigned from the Chief Minister's post on June 29 moments after the Supreme Court refused to stay the floor test ordered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. 

Uddhav did not have the numbers on his side as around 39 out of 55 Sena MLAs joined Shinde's camp. 

The Shiv Sena had earlier sought disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs, and Shinde's removal as the party's leader in the Assembly. The latter, on the other hand, claimed that their group was the real Shiv Sena in the legislature as they had the numerical strength.

The Supreme Court had on Friday agreed to hear on July 11 the plea of Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu seeking suspension from the assembly of Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending.

After Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister, Prabhu moved to the top court seeking his suspension and of 15 rebels on various grounds, alleging that they are acting as pawns of the BJP, thereby committing the constitutional sin of defection.