New Delhi: Three days after the Election Commission (EC) recognized the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the real Shiv Sena, the faction on Monday took control of the party office in the Maharashtra Assembly building, which was under the control of the Shiv Sena till now. . (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray.
Shiv Sena chief whip Bharat Gogawale, accompanied by over a dozen MLAs from the Shinde camp, reached the legislature party office in the morning and took control of the office. Later he also held a meeting in the office.
Gogavale said he would soon issue a whip to all Shiv Sena MLAs for the upcoming budget session, which would be applicable to the Thackeray faction MLAs as well. The budget session is scheduled from February 27.
“After the Election Commission’s decision, we entered the Shiv Sena legislative office and held a meeting in which the budget session was discussed. We haven’t issued the whip yet but will soon. The whip will apply to all Shiv Sena MLAs… If it is not followed, action will be taken against the MLAs as per rules.
Gogavale said that so far no decision has been taken on claiming party funds and army branches. “We have called a meeting tomorrow. We will discuss all these aspects in the meeting. The decision to takeover other offices will be discussed and the next course of action will be decided accordingly. Till now, we have not claimed the money. We will discuss about the shakhas with the Chief Minister and necessary steps will be taken.
“We will do what is right and will not take any wrong step in haste,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said in Pune on Monday that after the Election Commission’s decision on the real Shiv Sena, there would be no claim on any party’s property as “we are the inheritors of Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology and we have no greed”. “.
Those lured by wealth and money made a wrong move in 2019, he said, in an apparent reference to Uddhav Thackeray breaking the Shiv Sena’s alliance with the BJP after the assembly election results over sharing of chief ministerial tenure.
“The Election Commission decided on the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena as per rules, and the office in the ‘Vidhimandal’ (legislature complex) belongs to the Shiv Sena. As far as property is concerned, we have no greed.
“We don’t want to claim any property, Balasaheb Thackeray’s thoughts are our property,” he said.
Gogavale said that the party’s national executive meeting will also be held on Tuesday. Sources said that apart from passing a resolution related to the organizational structure of the Shiv Sena, new appointments are likely to be made in the meeting.
The first and last national executive meeting of the Shinde-led party was held in July last, when Shinde was appointed as the chief leader. It was resolved to abolish the post of party president held by Uddhav Thackeray. It was decided that all the powers and duties of the party president would be vested in the leader (Shinde), Thackeray could continue as party president as long as he wanted but it would be an honorary post.
MLA Sanjay Shirsat said that all 56 MLAs of both the factions will have to obey the whip in the budget session, failing which disqualification action will be initiated.
During the winter session of the Legislature last December, the Shinde faction took charge of the party’s legislative office at the Nagpur Vidhan Bhawan. The Shinde faction was allotted the office by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar. with PTI inputs
