After ‘Maha’ Shock in Lok Sabha Polls, 6 MLAs from Eknath Shinde Group in Touch with Uddhav Thackeray

After ‘Maha’ Shock in Lok Sabha Polls, 6 MLAs from Eknath Shinde Group in Touch with Uddhav Thackeray

Following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) sweeping victory in the Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections, six legislators from the Eknath Shinde group are reportedly in contact with former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) faction.

According to reports, these MLAs have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Shinde camp’s handling of the party and the state government. They are said to be considering switching allegiance back to Thackeray, who was unceremoniously ousted as Chief Minister following a rebellion led by Shinde and 39 other Shiv Sena MLAs last year.

The potential defection of these MLAs could further weaken the Shinde camp, which currently has 40 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The Thackeray faction, meanwhile, has 16 MLAs.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won all 48 seats in Maharashtra, crushing the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Indian National Congress (INC). The MVA’s dismal performance has raised questions about the future of the alliance.

Sources within the Thackeray camp have reportedly confirmed the talks with the disgruntled Shinde group MLAs but have declined to divulge further details. The Shinde camp has, however, dismissed the reports as mere speculation, claiming that all its MLAs are firmly behind the leadership.

Political observers believe that if the six MLAs do defect to Thackeray’s faction, it could trigger a domino effect and lead to the collapse of the Shinde government. However, they caution that the situation is fluid and anything can happen in the ever-evolving political landscape of Maharashtra.

Keywords:

Maharashtra
Lok Sabha elections
Eknath Shinde
Uddhav Thackeray
Shiv Sena
Defection
Maha Vikas Aghadi
BJP