News LIVE: Rebel MLAs name group after Balasaheb, say they are in Sena

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Live news updates: The rebel faction of Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde met on Saturday to discuss next course of action in Maharashtra’s rapidly shifting political crisis. They named their group 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb', after the party’s late founding leader.

Deepak Kesarkar, a legislator and the group's spokesperson, MLA, said they are "not leaving the Shiv Sena as we have two-third of the majority". 

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the party, chaired a national executive meeting in Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai. On Friday, Thackeray convened a meeting of the district chiefs in which he said that the rebel MLAs wanted to "break the party".

9:55 PM

Shiv Sena Rebel Eknath Shinde met BJP leaders in Gujarat Friday night: Report

Shiv Sena rebel MLA Eknath Shinde and the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis met in Gujarat's Vadodara last night to discuss possible government formation in Maharashtra, NDTV.com reported quoting sources. Home Minister Amit Shah was also in Vadodara last night, said the website. Shinde reportedly came to Vadodara on a special flight from Assam's Guwahati last night.

9:51 PM

Shiv Sena workers loyal to Thackerays protest against rebels

The ongoing battle for the control of the Shiv Sena between party president Uddhav Thackeray and rebel leader Eknath Shinde played out on the streets of Maharashtra on Saturday with the cadres loyal to the Thackerays staging protests against the rebels by defacing their banners, hurling stones, and vandalising the office of an MLA in various parts of the state. The Mumbai police has deployed its personnel at the city-based offices of various political parties and leaders, including ministers, MLAs and MPs, and their residences, PTI reported.

6:33 PM

Rebel Sena MLAs say they haven't quit party

Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde said in Guwahati they have not left the party, but will act as a separate group in the Maharashtra Assembly under the name Shiv Sena (Balasaheb). In Mumbai, the Sena executive passed a resolution that no outfit should use the name of the party’s late founder Bal Thackeray.

5:45 PM

Shiva Sena executive says no other outfit can use Bal Thackeray's name

The Shiv Sena’s national executive on Saturday passed a resolution authorising Maharashtra Chief Minister and party chief Uddhav Thackeray to take action against "those who have betrayed the party", but refrained from taking immediate action against rebel leader Eknath Shinde. The Shinde faction, which is camping in Guwahati, said earlier it has named itself as `Shiv Sena (Balasaheb)'.

5:37 PM

5 men detained for throwing stones at office of Eknath Shinde's son's office

As many as five Shiv Sena supporters were detained on Saturday in Thane district for throwing pelting stones at the office of Shrikant Shinde, Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan and son of party rebel leader Eknath Shinde. The incident took place at the Gol Maidan office in Ulhasnagar of the LS MP at 1pm and a video of it had gone viral on social media soon after, PTI reported.

5:14 PM

Shinde accuses Thackeray govt of withdrawing security of rebel MLAs

Dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Saturday alleged that the Maharashtra government has withdrawn the security cover from the residences of 38 party rebels, including himself, and their families, and dubbed the action as "political vendetta", although Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil denied any such move. Shinde, who is currently camping in Guwahati along with the rebel legislators, tweeted a letter signed by him and other MLAs that is addressed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Walse Patil.

3:39 PM

Prohibitory orders issued in Thane

Thane collector Rajesh Narvekar has issued prohibitory orders in the district against the backdrop of Shiv Sena strongman from the region Eknath Shinde rebelling against his party, PTI reported quoting an official Saturday. The order, which will be in force till June 30, prohibits processions, display of posters and placards etc, as well as possession and carrying of lethal weapons, the official added.

3:28 PM

Shive Sena moves Election Commission against Eknath Shinde faction

"While we cannot prevent Shri Eknath Shinde and his cohorts from establishing any political party they wish to, however we strongly object to any such party being created in the name of or using the names "Shiv Sena' or 'Balasaheb'," Uddhav Thackeray faction wrote, according to NDTV.com

2:59 PM

Amid Maha crisis, Uddhav chairs Shiv Sena's national executive meet; all eyes on action against rebels

The national executive meeting of the Shiv Sena is underway at the party's headquarters in the city on Saturday, where Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is also the party president, is expected to take a decision on the action against the rebel MLAs, including Eknath Shinde.

Thackeray was supposed to chair the meeting virtually from his residence "Matoshree". However, he reached the party headquarters - Shiv Sena Bhavan - at Dadar in central Mumbai.

The party's national executive is expected to authorise Thackeray to take decisions regarding the organisation in view of the rebellion by Shinde. Along with Shinde, another disgruntled party leader and former minister Ramdas Kadam, is expected to face action. Both of them are members of national executive. Kadam's son MLA Yogesh Kadam has joined the rebel camp in Guwahati.

2:44 PM

Shinde-led rebel MLAs name their faction 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'

The Shiv Sena rebel MLAs of Eknath Shinde faction on Saturday named their group as 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'.

 

Former Minister of State for Home and rebel MLA Deepak Kesarkar told ANI that Eknath Shinde-led MLAs formed a new group 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'.

 

The decision comes at a time when Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was holding the executive meeting of Shiv Sena. The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government continues to be in a combative mode with 38 of its rebel MLAs are camping in Guwahati.

2:43 PM

Maha crisis: MVA govt in minority, have sympathy for Shinde, says Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday said the MVA government in Maharashtra no longer enjoyed majority in the legislature as over two-third MLAs of the Shiv Sena were with rebel leader Eknath Shinde.

He was speaking to reporters here after meeting former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis.

"Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde has support of more than two-third MLAs, thus reducing the MVA government to a minority. Fadnavis told me the BJP has no role to play in this development. The BJP has neither initiated this rebellion nor supported it, he told me. The BJP will wait and watch," the Union minister of state of social justice and empowerment said.

2:40 PM

Enhanced rainfall likely over NW & Central India from Monday: IMD

The Northwest India, which is again reeling under hot conditions after a brief spell of pre-monsoon showers, is likely to experience an enhanced rainfall from Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.

Similar enhanced rainfall activity is on the cards for Central India as well, it added.

Under the influence of lower level easterlies, scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorm & lightning are on the cards over Uttarakhand & East Uttar Pradesh from Sunday till June 29; over Himachal Pradesh & West Uttar Pradesh on June 28 & 29.

2:38 PM

BA.5 becomes dominant Covid variant in Germany

The Omicron sub-lineage BA.5 has become the dominant Covid-19 variant in Germany, accounting for around half of the infections, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

"The strong increase in share of this variant has continued together with BA.4 and BA.2.12.1," the RKI said in its weekly report.

With the increasing spread of these more contagious variants, a "rebound in infection numbers" was also been observed, reports Xinhua news agency.

2:37 PM

UN human rights chief blasts US abortion ruling

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has denounced the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade that established a constitutional right to abortion, saying that it was a huge blow to women's human rights and gender equality.

"Access to safe, legal and effective abortion is firmly rooted in international human right law and is at the core of women and girls' autonomy and ability to make their own choices about their bodies and lives, free of discrimination, violence and coercion," Bachelet said in a statement late Friday night.

"This decision strips such autonomy from millions of women in the US, in particular those with low incomes and those belonging to racial and ethnic minorities, to the detriment of their fundamental rights," she added.

2:37 PM

Mild tremors felt in Karnataka

Mild tremors were felt in many parts of Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada (DK) district on Saturday morning, official sources said.

Several residents of Sullia said they experienced mild tremors at around 9.10 am. They said a loud sound was heard when the earth shook for about 45 seconds.

Residents of Kallugundi, Sampaje, Goonadka, Aranthodu, Ivarnadu, Thodikkana and Peraje areas in the taluk also felt the tremors. Some buildings in Sullia including houses have developed cracks.