Uddhav Removes CM Eknath Shinde as Shiv Sena Leader Over 'Anti-Party' Activities

In a letter addressed to Shinde, Thackeray said that the former had voluntarily given up membership of the party.

Uddhav Thackeray (left) and Eknath Shinde.

(Photo: Samarth Grover/The Quint)

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday, 1 July, removed the new Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the post of leader in the party.

In a letter addressed to Shinde, Thackeray wrote, "You have been indulging in anti-party activities and have also voluntarily given up your membership of Shiv Sena."

"Therefore, in exercise of the powers vested in me as the Shiv Sena Paksha Pramukha, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena Leader in the party organisation," Thackeray added.

Uddhav Thackeray's letter to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

While Shinde has claimed to be the leader of the Sena, arguing that Thackeray's camp is now in a minority, he has never claimed to be the party chief (Paksha Pramukh).

Earlier on Friday, Thackeray had said that Shinde could not call himself a Shiv Sena chief minister after 'abandoning' the party. "He is not a Shiv Sena chief minister. You cannot abandon Shiv Sena and claim to be a Sena chief minister," he said.

Thackeray had resigned as the chief minister of Maharashtra on Wednesday, 29 June, shortly after the Supreme Court allowed a floor test to be held for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, led by the Sena, to prove its majority in the Maharashtra Assembly.

The next day, Shinde was sworn-in as CM while BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy CM.

The Shinde government is scheduled to prove its majority in the Assembly on 4 July. The speaker's election will be held on 3 July, the nomination for which will be filed on 2 July.

(With inputs from ANI.)