The Supreme Court verdict that it could not reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as he had quit as CM has vindicated Sena faction allies NCP and Congress which had said earlier that it was Thackeray’s ‘premature’ resignation that brought down the MVA government.

“We had been advising and even implored him not to quit before the vote of confidence. But he took a unilateral decision and this is where we are today. Much of the blame of the government falling lies solely with him,” a Congress leader said after the SC verdict.

When Eknath Shinde and 40 MLAs rebelled, NCP and Congress had advised him not to resign and instead force the rebel MLAs to return to Mumbai for the floor test. NCP leader Sharad Pawar had called up Thackeray at least twice to dissuade him from resigning. NCP and Sena insiders said Thackeray thought it would be an embarrassment to quit after losing the vote of confidence.