Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday recognised Rahul Shewale, a supporter of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, as the floor leader of Shiv Sena in the lower house. Shewale replaced Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Vinayak Raut after 12 MPs met the Speaker and requested him to change the floor leader.
The Shiv Sena has 19 MPs in Lok Sabha of whom 12 are lending their support to the Shinde camp.
The MPs, including Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde, met the Speaker a day after Raut gave a letter to the Speaker, asking him not to entertain any representation from the rival faction.
