Uddhav Thackeray leaves official residence Varsha for family home amid Maharashtra crisis

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 22 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray left his official residence 'Varsha' along with his family members on Wednesday hours after he expressed his readiness to step down if rebel MLAs returned to Mumbai and made such a demand.
Uddhav Thackeray left his official residence along with members of his family amid slogans of "Uddhav tum aage badho, hum tumhare saath hain" from his supporters.
Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray along with his mother Rashmi Thackeray and brother Tejas Thackeray followed Uddhav Thackeray in a car as left the official residence. Luggage was also seen being moved out of the chief minister's official residence.
The political crisis facing the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra deepened on Wednesday after rebel party MLAs claimed support of 46 MLAs. Congress and NCP are partners of Shiv Sena in the alliance government.
Shiv Sena workers also gathered outside Matoshree, the residence of Thackeray family, to express their support.
Earlier this evening, Thackeray addressed the people of the state via Facebook and said he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to Raj Bhavan.
Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" was against him.
"If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said.
"I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut expressed confidence of Shiv Sena sailing through the crisis.
"Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM. If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he said.
Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde, who is leading the revolt, said that it was essential for the party for its survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the coalition government in the state.
"In the last two and a half years, the government benefited only the constituent parties. It's essential to get out of the unnatural alliance for the survival of the party. Decisions need to be taken now in the interest of Maharashtra," Shinde said in tweets. (ANI)