I Will Resign If Even One Rebel MLA Tells Me To, Says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

Amid rebellion within the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said he will quit as chief minister and leave official residence if even one of the rebellious MLAs says they don't want him as CM.

He said, "I have kept letter of my resignation as chief minister ready, willing to resign as CM this very moment."

Uddhav added that he is "not willing to continue as chief minister".

"Ready to quit even as Shiv Sena chief; let those disgruntled MLAs come forward and demand so," said Uddhav in a virtual address to people.

This comes as senior Sena leader Eknath Shinde has plunged the Sena-led Maharashtra government into crisis. Shinde has rebelled against the government and is camping in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Assam, saying he has support of 46 MLAs.

This means that if Shinde and MLAs that he says are with him defect, the Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)



coalition would lose majority as its numbers would come down from 152 to 105. The majority-mark is 145 in the 288-member assembly.

Earlier on Wednesday, senior Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut said ongoing political developments in the state could lead to dissolution of Maharashtra assembly.

"The political developments in Maharashtra are headed towards dissolution of the state Assembly," said Raut in a tweet.

Later when asked to elaborate on the tweet, Raut said, "When such a situation arises in any state, I have seen that the Legislative Assembly is dissolved."

He avoided the question on whether Uddhav will resign.  

However, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Wednesday said Uddhav has made it clear that there was no proposal to recommend dissolution of the state Assembly. 

"We will run the government effectively," Patole said quoting Uddhav.