Shiv Sena workers take out symbolic funeral procession of rebel MLAs

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 27 (ANI): Just hours after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday reshuffled the departments of nine ministers, Shiv Sena workers took out a symbolic funeral procession of the rebel MLAs.
The party workers from the Hadapsar area of Pune also performed the last rites at the Amar Dham crematorium.
The move by the Sena workers comes amid the political turbulence in Maharashtra after Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde filed a petition in the Supreme Court stating that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance has lost the majority in the house as 38 of the members of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party have withdrawn their support thus bringing it below the majority in the house.
Two petitions have been filed, one by Shinde and the other by rebel MLAs, challenging the disqualification notice issued by the Deputy Speaker and the appointment of Ajay Chaudhary as leader of the legislative party.
The Shinde camp claimed the move was illegal since disqualification can happen only for matters in the assembly and not for skipping a party meeting.
The Eknath Shinde camp has also challenged the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as the Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader by the Thackeray camp.
They have also asked the court to direct the Maharashtra government to provide security to their families.
Maharashtra has no Speaker since Nana Patole resigned in February 2021 to take over as Congress chief. Deputy Speaker Zirwal belongs to NCP.
The 15 petitioners are Bharat Gogawale, Prakash R Surve, Tanhaji Jaywant Savant, Mahesh S Shinde, Abdul Sattar, Sandeepan A Bhumre, Sanjay P Sirhsat, Yamini Y Jadhav, Anil K Babar, Latabai C Sonawane, Ramesh N Bornare, Sanjay B Raimulkar, Chimanrao R Patil, Balaji D Kalyankar and Balaji P Kinilkar. (ANI)