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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday announced that he is quitting from his post minutes after the Supreme Court refused to stay Maharashtra Governor's direction to his government to face a test in the state assembly on Thursday. In a Facebook live, Uddhav said, "I am also quitting as a member of Legislative Council." 

An emotionally charged Uddhav said that he had come to power in an unexpected manner, and now he is going out in a similar fashion. His announcement came minutes after the Supreme Court refused to stay Maharashtra Governor's direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government to take a floor test in the Assembly on Thursday. 

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in a letter to the secretary has called for a 'special session' as he feels that Uddhav Thackeray government has lost confidence in assembly.

However, Raj Bhavan has not confirmed the release of the letter.

BJP on Monday finally opened up about the Eknath Shinde-led revolt in Shiv Sena, refusing to call that camp "rebels" and saying it was open to considering proposals on government formation from the faction.

"We do not consider anyone a rebel. If two-thirds of the MLAs are with Shinde, how can they be called rebels?" asked senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, speaking after a meeting at Devendra Fadnavis' house.

Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, the Shinde camp has approached the Supreme Court over the deputy speaker's disqualification notice to 16 MLAs. Two petitions have been filed challenging the disqualification notice issued by the deputy speaker and the appointment of Ajay Chaudhary as leader of the legislative party. The SC vacation bench and the registrar are likely to hear the Shinde camp's pleas at 10.30 am today.

A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala is likely to hear Shinde's plea seeking directions to the deputy speaker to not take any action in the disqualification petition against him.

The death of her youngest son in 2009 had left Droupadi Murmu, NDA's presidential nominee, shattered. An engineering graduate, her son died under mysterious circumstances when he was only 21.

What brought her out of her grief and depression were meditation and spiritual healing at Prajapita Brahmakumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya in her hometown of Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district where a broken Murmu had sought refuge, the ashram's chief in-charge BK Supriya told TOI over phone.

"A mother of three (two sons and a daughter), she was emotionally drained. She did not have any mental strength left. Since she knew the Brahmakumaris' ashram since 2000, she came to us and surrendered. She had gone very quiet," Supriya said.