@Evening: 🤔 Now We Know Who Was Responsible For MVA Government Collapse

👉 Change of address for Maharashtra politics

It's clear now: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed because of Uddhav Thackeray, specifically because he resigned.

Context: A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud today ruled on the pleas related to the June 2022 political crisis in Maharashtra.

• The MVA government cannot be restored now since Thackeray resigned voluntarily and did not face a floor test.

• Had Thackeray not resigned, the apex court said it could have restored the status quo.

• Further, because of the resignation, the governor was proved right in inviting the Eknath Shinde-led coalition to form the government.

• This also means now that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde gets to keep his job.

Thackeray vs Shinde. The SC ruling has brought forth the realisation that Thackeray's move was not a mature one.

• Everyone, including his allies from the Congress and NCP, had already expressed their displeasure over his resignation.

• Thackeray likely acted without consultation with his own party people, an accusation he faced during the entire rebellion.

• As for Shinde, he received a seal of approval today from the top court to stay on as the CM.

• This is a booster shot for Shinde, who already had a win when the Election Commission granted him the party.

• Shinde will now use the symbol and party name without any issue.

• The symbol is what people vote for; the Sena symbol being with Shinde could give him an upper hand over Uddhav Thackeray.

What does this mean for MH politics? Today's verdict may make the already nervous allies, especially the NCP, even more nervous.

• They might even be closer to quitting the alliance at this point.

• Even the Congress, perhaps, wouldn’t want to be seen with a leader who caused his own government’s collapse.

• Plus, Thackeray met Nitish Kumar today at his home in Mumbai.

• Kumar, as many speculate, aspires to be the PM face of the opposition, but the Congress is not on board with it.

• Thackeray has also got newer allies of whom the NCP is wary.

• All this is causing further trouble in an already tenuous relationship among MVA allies.

Bottom line: After today's verdict, it is likely that the political centre of the Shiv Sena will move from Matoshree to Shinde’s Sena Bhawan. 

• Maharashtra politics is changing, and a new leader is taking over the Shiv Sena, a party that has dominated the scene for a long time.

• Surprisingly, it won't be a Thackeray leading the change this time around.