Rolling the political ball, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has directed the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress to take a floor test and prove its House majority on June 30 (Thursday).
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said they are ready for the floor test. Shinde and other rebel Shiv Sen MLAs have been camping in Guwahati's Radisson Blu hotel for over a week now, and earlier a report came that the hotel was booked till June 30 for their stay.
"Will return to Mumbai tomorrow," said Shinde. "Maharashtra Governor has convened. We will take part in the floor test in Maharashtra Assembly and will follow all the protocols."
The Shinde camp held a meeting in the hotel where all the rebel MLAs were present as was seen in a video that surfaced on Wednesday.
Sources said, "The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs are likely to leave for Goa from Guwahati this afternoon. A SpiceJet flight is en route to Guwahati to take all the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs from Guwahati to Goa today."
The flight is expected to leave Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport for Goa's Dabolim airport around 3 p.m., said the sources.
Developments in Mumbai
In Mumbai, a 3-page letter to the effect has been issued to the Maharashtra Legislature Secretary by the Raj Bhavan late on Tuesday -- soon after a delegation of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met the Governor and urged him for immediate directions to the MVA to prove its majority.
The Governor has convened a one-day Special Session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Thursday with a single point agenda of a trust vote against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in view of the political upheavals along with legal, procedural issues witnessed in the past nine days.
The Special Assembly will convene at 11 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Thursday. The day's proceedings shall be telecast live, with provisions for adequate security both inside and outside the legislature, the Governor has directed.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the Shiv Sena is likely to move the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing in the matter amid speculation that Thackeray may take certain drastic measures at the Cabinet meeting scheduled later in the day.
The rebel group of Shiv Sena led by Minister Eknath Shinde -- currently camping in Guwahati -- said that they would return to Mumbai on Thursday and take part in the trust vote and all other proceedings that would follow.
The Shinde faction is returning to Mumbai tomorrow and is confident of its majority.
