MUMBAI: In a major setback to the rebel Shiv Sena camp led by Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra assembly deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on Friday approved the appointment of Uddhav loyalist Ajay Chaudhari as the legislature party leader of Shiv Sena. Another MLA Sunil Prabhu will be the chief whip.
The rebel camp had written to the deputy Speaker requesting him to appoint Eknath Shinde as the legislature party leader. It had proposed Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale as chief party whip. However, Zirwal turned down these proposals.
In the absence of the Speaker, the deputy Speaker has been appointed as acting Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly. On Friday, two pro-BJP independent MLAs — Mahesh Badali and Vinod Agarwal — wrote to the deputy speaker asserting that he could not disqualify the rebelled Shiv Sena MLAs because there was a no-confidence motion against him. Badali said they cited several Supreme Court judgments in support of their argument.
The Shiv Sena has demanded the disqualification of 12 party MLAs for defying the party whip. The party is likely to propose disqualification of more rebel legislators. In a related development, Shiv Sena workers on Friday vandalised a board outside the office of party MLA Mangesh Kudalkar who is part of the group of rebel legislators.
Kudalkar represents the Kurla constituency in the city. He is camping in Guwahati along with Shinde and other MLAs. A group of Shiv Sena supporters gathered outside Kudalkar’s office in Kurla and tried to smash up a board bearing his name and photograph. Before they could attack the office, police on the spot intervened. Mumbai Police have stepped up security at several locations including Shiv Sena shakhas (local offices).