One of the MLAs accompanying rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde in Surat reached Nagpur airport on Wednesday, claiming that he was "kidnapped". Nitin Deshmukh, who represents the Balapur Assembly constituency in Maharashtra, said he was a shiv sainik of Uddhav Thackeray and Balasaheb Thackeray.
The development comes as Eknath Shinde shifted from Surat to BJP-ruled Assam and asserted that 40 MLAs from Maharashtra had accompanied him. The rebellion has put a question mark on the stability of the MVA dispensation in Maharashtra.
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had alleged that Nitin Deshmukh and some MLAs were kidnapped from Mumbai and taken to Gujarat.
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"Two of the MLAs (with Shinde), including Nitin Deshmukh, were beaten up last night. Deshmukh tried to run away but he was beaten up by the police and goondas under 'Operational Kamal' and suffered a heart attack. Some of the MLAs have told us that they were misled and taken to Gujarat," PTI quoted Raut as saying.
Raut alleged that Shiv Sena MLAs had received at least four to five calls from their colleagues who told them that they were misled and requested their rescue.
"At least four to five calls have been received by some MLAs of Sena. The caller MLAs said that they were being misled and kidnapped. They said that they were called for dinner in Thane (on Monday) and then taken away. Their family members have lodged police complaints about their husbands and fathers going missing," Raut had said.
Nitin Deshmukh's wife had also filed a missing complaint in Akola police station on Tuesday, suspecting a threat to the life of the MLA.
As the political turmoil in Maharashtra deepened on Wednesday, Sanjay Raut indicated that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray could recommend to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to dissolve the state Assembly. "The political developments in Maharashtra are headed towards dissolution of the state Assembly," Raut tweeted.