New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday told rebel MLAs camping in Guwahati to return to Mumbai and talk to him. "Many of you are in touch with us, you're still in Shiv Sena at heart; family members of some MLAs have also contacted me & conveyed their sentiments to me...," said CM. “It is not too late. I appeal to you to return and sit with me and remove the confusion (created by your actions) among Shiv Sainiks and the public,” a statement Thackeray’s aide quoted him as saying.
“If you return and face me, some way could be found. As party president and family head, I still care for you,” he said.
Earlier today, Eknath Shinde came out of the hotel in Guwahati for the first time in the midst of the ongoing political struggle in Maharashtra and interacted with the media. On this occasion, he said that rumors are being spread by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction).
"Will return to Mumbai soon... 50 MLAs with me in Guwahati, they have come of their own accord and for Hindutva," Shinde said.
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The rebel leader also asked the Uddhav Thackeray faction to "disclose the names of his (Shinde's) group MLAs who are reportedly in contact with them (Uddhav Thackeray faction)."
On Monday, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed, "There are two groups of people in Guwahati - there's a group of 15-16 people who are in touch with us, some of them recently. The other group is the one that has run away, they have no courage and morality."
Eknath Shinde had filed a petition on Monday in the Supreme Court against the disqualification notices sent to him and other rebel legislators in which he stated that the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government has lost the majority in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as 38 of the 55 MLAs have withdrawn their support to the coalition, news agency ANI reported.