Eknath Shinde camp likely to approach Maharashtra Governor for floor test: Sources

Minutes after Supreme Court granted relief to the rebel Shiv Sena legislators, sources suggest that the Eknath Shinde camp is likely to approach Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking a floor test in the state's Legislative Assembly.

According to sources, the Shinde camp has no confidence in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, which is headed by Uddhav Thackeray. 

On Sunday, rebel MLA Deepak Kesarkar stated that the Shinde camp is ready to face the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly but demanded recognition for their faction. He made it clear that dissidents will not support the MVA government.

A rebellion in Shiv Sena has created a political crisis in the ruling MVA government. Two factions have been formed in Shiv Sena- one Uddhav Thackeray's and another Eknath Shinde's. The Shinde camp has claimed that it has the support of 39 Sena MLAs, which is more than two-thirds of the party's strength.

SC grants relief to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs

The Supreme Court on Monday kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Maharashtra Assembly Deputy Speaker on July 11 and sought a response to petitions by rebel legislators questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.

The vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala also refused to pass any interim order on the Maharashtra government's plea that there should not be a floor test in Maharashtra Assembly and said that they can always approach it in case of illegality.

The apex court directed the Maharashtra government to protect the life, liberty, and property of 39 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and their family members. While issuing notice to the deputy speaker, the court directed him to put on affidavit records of no trust notice served upon him by rebel MLAs.