Shiv Sena Asks All MLAs To Attend Party Meeting Today, Eknath Shinde Calls Order 'Legally Invalid'

Shiv Sena issued a letter to party MLAs stating that those who will be absent from the cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening will be considered out from the party

Amid the political turmoil in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena issued a letter to party MLAs stating that those who will be absent from the cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening will be considered out from the party, news agency ANI reported.

The meeting started at 5 pm in the evening, and the ultimatum to party MLAs was issued after rebel Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde claimed to have the support of 46 MLAs. Moreover, back-to-back meetings are being held by the three coalition partners Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena to end the crisis.

Shinde said Wednesday that Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale has been appointed as the Chief Representative of the party Legislature.

He said that the reason is that the orders issued by Sunil Prabhu regarding the cabinet meeting on Wednesday are "legally invalid".

Sunil Prabhu, Chief Representative of Shiv Sena, issued the letter to all party MLAs, asking them to be present at the meeting.

According to an ANI report, the letter warned that if any Shiv Sena MLA remains absent from the meeting without proper reason and prior information, they should keep in mind that action will be initiated to cancel their membership as per constitutional provisions.

On Wednesday morning, as many as 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati.

According to a report by news agency PTI, Prabhu issued the letter to some Sena members, including the Minister of State for Home Shambhuraj Desai. He is currently staying with Shinde in Guwahati.

The meeting is being held at 'Varsha' bungalow. The reason behind the meeting is that there have been many attempts to make the MVA government unstable. The letter stated that the details regarding the meeting were shared with all the MLAs on their registered email address, and through WhatsApp and SMS.

Varsha is the official residence of Uddhav Thackeray, the chief minister of Maharashtra.

"You cannot remain absent from the meeting without providing a valid and sufficient reason. If you do not attend the meeting, it would be presumed that you have a clear intention of leaving the party. Hence, there will be action taken against you based on the provisions for preventing anti-defection," the letter stated.

The rebellion of the Shiv Sena MLAs against the party has plunged the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra into a crisis. Shinde left Mumbai on Monday night with a sizable number of MLAs, and travelled to Surat in Gujarat, media reports said.