Maha political crisis: Know how Shinde's rebel MLAs wrecked MVA ahead of SC verdict today

A constitution bench of the Supreme Court will pronounce a verdict on Thursday on a batch of petitions submitted before the court after the split between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde and the subsequent change of the Maharashtra government in 2022. The bench consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and PS Narasimha will pronounce the verdict on the matter. 

It all started when Maharashtra was governed by the Shiv Sena-led grand alliance Maha Vikash Aghadi (MVA), consisting of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Indian National Congress (INC). Around 40 Shiv Sena MLAs headed by Eknath Shinde expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray.

After a month of tussle between the party whip and the rebel MLAs, the then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to call a trust vote. However, he resigned from the chief ministerial post before the trust vote and moved Supreme Court to question the Governor's action. 

Shinde's mega switch with 40 MLAs

Ahead of the floor test, Shinde joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with his 40 loyalists and crossed the majority mark in the Maharashtra assembly. In the present state assembly, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Shiv Sena and BJP has 162 seats and the MVA led by Shiv Sena (UBT) has 121 seats. According to the Election Commission, the legislative assembly of Maharashtra consists of 288 seats and the political parties require 145 seats to stake a claim for the formation of the government. 

List of MLAs who left Uddhav and joined Shinde camp: 

1. Eknath Shinde, Kopri Pachpakhadi, Thane
2. Yogesh Kadam, Dapoli, District Ratnagiri
3. Balaji Kalyankar, Nanded north, Nanded
4. Suhas Kande, Nandgaon, Nashik
5. Balaji Kinikar, Ambernath, Thane
6. Mangesh Kudalkar, Kurla, Mumbai
7. Deepak Kesarkar, Sawantwadi, Sindhudurg
8. Sanjay Gaikwad, Buldhana
9. Bharat Gogawale, Mahad, Raigad
10. Dnyanraj Chowgule, Umarga, Osmanabad
11. Yamini Jadhav, Byculla, Mumbai
12. Pradeep Jaiswal, Aurangabad central
13. Mahendra Thorve, Karjat, Raigad
14. Mahendra Dalvi, Alibaug, Raigad
15. Shambhuraj Desai, Patan, Satara
16. Gulabrao Patil, Jalgaon Rural, Jalgaon
17. Chimanrao Patil Erandol, Jalghaon
18. Kishor Patil Pachora, Jalgaon
19. Shahaji Patil Sangola, Solapur
20. Anil Babar Khanapur, Sanglu
21. Ramesh Bornare, Vaijapur, Aurangabad
22. Sandipan Bhumre, Paithan, Aurangabad
23. Vishwanath Bhoir, Kalyan West, Thane
24. Shantaram More, Bhiwandi Rural, Thane
25. Sanjay Rathod, Digras, Yavatmal
26. Sanjay Raymulkar, Mehkar, Buldhana
27. Udaysinh Rajput, Kannad, Aurangabad
28. Dilip Lande, Chandivali, Mumbai
29. Shrinivas Vanga, Palghar
30. Prakash Abitkar, Radhanagari, district Kolhapur
31. Mahesh Shinde, Koregaon, Satara
32. Sanjay Shirsat, Aurangabad West, Aurangabad
33. Abdul Sattar, Sillod, Aurangabad
34. Pratap Sarnaik, Owala Majiwada, Thane
35. Sada Sarvankar,  Mahim, Mumbai
36. Tanaji Sawant, Paranda, Osmanabad
37. Prakash Surve, Magathane, Mumbai
38. Latabai Sonawane, Chopda, Jalgaon
39. Dadaji Bhuse, Malegaon Outer, Nashik district
40. Santosh Bangar, Kalamnuri Vidhan Sabha