'Maharashtra saddened by untimely collapse of MVA govt': Ashok Chavan after Uddhav resigns

Lamenting the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, cabinet minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan said on Wednesday that the whole state was saddened by the untimely collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. 

"Through the Mahavikas Aghadi, we gave Maharashtra a government that would take everyone along. This government had the strong support of citizens from all walks of life," Chavan tweeted, shortly after Chief Minister & Shiv Sena president Uddhav announced his resignation.

During its short term, the MVA government made a sincere effort to do what it could, in spite of the COVID-19 crisis, said Chavan. Sending good wishes to the incoming BJP government, he expressed hope that "there will be no politics in the public interest work started by the MVA."

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned earlier in the evening, a day before a scheduled floor test in the state Assembly. Accepting Uddhav's resignation, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked him to hold the post till an alternative arrangement is made.

Lost a decent & sensitive CM: Sanjay Raut

Following the Shiv Sena president's resignation, party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the state lost a decent and sensitive Chief Minister. 

"Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned very politely. We have lost a sensitive, decent Chief Minister. History is witness that cheating doesn't end well. Thackeray wins. This is the beginning of a grand victory for Shiv Sena. Will eat sticks, go to jail, but Balasaheb That will keep Shiv Sena flaming!" Raut tweeted. 

The rebellion by Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde and 50 MLAs in his support, spelt doom for the alliance government led by Uddhav Thackeray. The rebel faction demanded that Shiv Sena call off the "unnatural" alliance with the ideologically incompatible Congress, NCP, and get back with the BJP.

After the eight-day political turmoil, Uddhav Thackeray stepped down from the top post on Wednesday evening when the Supreme Court refused to stay the floor test.

The BJP is set to form the next government in the state with the support of Sena rebels led by Eknath Shinde and several independents who had earlier backed the government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance.