Within hours of Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's offer of resignation if rebelling MLAs tell him to do so directly, rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde said it's essential for the party to walk out of unnatural alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress.
Sena is running the Maharashtra government with the Congress and NCP under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which is now battling for survival as Shinde's rebellion has pushed the numbers against the coalition.
Shinde says he has support of 46 MLAs, which means the MVA would be down to from 152 to 105. The majority-mark is 145 in the 288-member assembly.
"Imperative for Shiv Sena to walk out of unnatural alliance with NCP and Congress to save party and party workers," said Shinde in a tweet in Marathi on Wednesday evening.
He further said only NCP and Congress have benefitted in the MVA and the party cadre has suffered.
"Shiv Sena and Shiv Sainiks weakened even as ruling alliance partners Congress and NCP got boost. Decisions need to be taken now in the interest of Maharashtra," said Shinde as per available English translations of his tweets.
(With PTI inputs)
