The political crisis for the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) deepened as the support for the rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde swelled on Thursday.
According to media reports, 45 Shiv Sena MLAs pledged their support to Shinde. Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Udhav Thackeray vacated his official residence on Wednesday, leaving people speculating about the future of the MVA government.
Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut offered an olive branch to the rebel MLAs on Thursday and said that Shiv Sena will break away from the MVA alliance if rebel legislators want so.
Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar assured that the MVA government will continue under Thackeray and Vidhan Sabha is the only way to ascertain whether the alliance has a majority or not. The Shiv Sena with 55 MLAs heads the MVA government in the state, NCP with 53 legislators and the Congress party having 44 MLAs are the alliance partners in the state government. Maharashtra’s Legislative Assembly has a strength of 288 members.
CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a countrywide survey on behalf of IANS to know people’s views about the current political situation in Maharashtra.
During the survey, a large proportion of respondents, 40 per cent, opined that BJP’s attempt to grab power in Maharashtra is the main reason for the political upheaval in the state.
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At the same time, while 25 percent respondents held Shiv Sena infighting responsible for Maharashtra political crisis, 18 percent of voters believed that differences between coalition partners of MVA has led to a political crisis in the state. Fourteen percent of those who participated in the survey, blamed Thackeray’s weakening grip over his party for the tumultuous political situation in the state.
Interestingly, during the survey, the large proportion of both opposition voters, 53 percent, and NDA supporters, 31 percent, blamed attempt to grab power for the political crisis that Maharashtra is presently witnessing.
Similarly, the largest proportion of both rural voters, 49 percent, and urban voters, 34 percent, said that BJP’s attempt to capture power is the main reason for Maharashtra’s political crisis.
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