Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde on Tuesday stated that he will return to Mumbai soon. Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Shinde said that 50 MLAs were with him, and they have "come of their own accord and for Hindutva".
Shinde also told the Sena to disclose names of his group MLAs who are reportedly in contact with the party. "No MLA is suppressed here, everyone here is happy. MLAs are with us. If Shiv Sena says that the MLAs present here are in contact with them, they should reveal the names," Shinde said.
As trouble mounts, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery has called for a cabinet meet at 5pm.
Meanwhile, the BJP is weighing its options as the rebels consiolidate their position. BJP leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis left for Delhi on Tuesday to finalise a course of action. Sources said the BJP is expecting Sena rebels, who include 39 MLAs and have been joined by at least 10 independents in a Guwahati hotel, to make the first move by approaching Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
In a relief to rebel Shiv Sena lawmakers, the Supreme Court on Monday kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly till July 11 and sought responses to pleas by rebel MLAs questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.
The top court, however, refused to pass any interim order on the plea of the Maharashtra government that there should not be any floor test in the Assembly.
-with PTI inputs
