Goa the next stop for Maharashtra rebels’ 3G network 

First Surat, then Guwahati, and now Goa has become a refuge for rebel MLAs as the political temperature in Maharashtra heats up.

From Gujarat to Guwahati and now Goa the rebel Shiv Sena camp is giving sleepless nights to not just rival Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra but the entire nation. Buses, hotels, chartered planes, temple runs and what not! The resort politics to protect MLAs from straying has upped the political temperature in Maharashtra.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called for a floor test on Thursday. And the famous Kamakhya temple in Guwahati became refuge for the rebel MLAs who are leaving for Goa now. Their leader Eknath Shinde visited the temple on Wednesday morning, seeking the much-needed blessings a day ahead of the floor test, not just once but twice.

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Bolstered with numbers, Shinde said he is not worried about any floor test. He said, “We will reach Mumbai tomorrow. 50 MLAs are with us. We have 2/3 majority.” He further added, “We will pass all things and no one can stop us. In democracy, the majority matters and we have that.”

Guwahati’s Radisson Blu hotel played host to 39 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, eight independent MLAs and two from Prahar Janshakti Party in their bid to bring down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. They landed in the city last Wednesday from Surat.

Interestingly, the rebel camp’s fascination with ‘G’ Gujarat, Guwahati & Goa points at a pertinent question as to why they changed their plan last minute to shift from Guwahati to Goa. Here are the five reasons:

1. First and foremost, they wanted to keep the MLAs in a BJP-ruled state where they can get all possible help from the state machinery.