Maharashtra political turmoil: Eknath Shinde claims support of 50 MLAs, says he will return to Mumbai soon

‘We are doing this to preserve Hindutva,’ says rebel camp

Breaking the suspense over the rebel camp’s extended Guwahati sojourn, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Tuesday claimed that he had the support of 50 MLAs and would soon be returning to Mumbai.

Speaking in Guwahati, Mr. Shinde, along with other Sena MLAs in his camp, including Uday Samant, emphatically said they were still in the Shiv Sena and that their actions were aimed at preserving the party and the ‘Hindutva’ ideals of late Sena founder Bal Thackeray.  

“Let there be no doubt that we are in the Shiv Sena and are taking the party forward. We will let you know about our further course of action. I will be in Mumbai soon,” Mr. Shinde said.

He quashed Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray’s claim that 15 to 20 MLAs in the rebel faction had alleged they had been “abducted” and that they had reportedly reached out to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s camp to bring them back to Mumbai from Guwahati.

“No MLA has been pressurised or is being suppressed…everyone here is happy and has joined of his or her own volition. If they [Thackeray camp] claim that the MLAs present here are in contact with them, then they should reveal their names,” he added.

Mr. Samant, in a bid to refute accusations by the Mr. Uddhav’s camp that the rebels were “traitors” to the party, stressed that the electorate should not be misled.

Mr. Samant, whose Higher and Technical Education portfolio was re-assigned to Mr. Aaditya, hit out at the Sena’s ally in the ruling ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ government, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), while accusing the latter of being responsible for the defeat of Sena candidate Sanjay Pawar in the Rajya Sabha elections held earlier this month.