Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut asserted on Thursday that some MLAs belonging to the rival faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have been communicating with his party following the inclusion of NCP leader Ajit Pawar in the State Government.
Raut informed reporters that the MLAs from the Shinde faction have initiated a form of “revolt” subsequent to the appointment of dissident NCP MLAs as ministers.
However, Sena Minister Uday Samant countered Raut’s claim by stating that six out of the 13 MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction were in contact with him.
Some MLAs from the Shinde-led Sena have been sending messages that they want to “seek forgiveness from ‘Matoshree’ (Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s residence),” Vinayak Raut said.
Many MLAs have also said that if “Matoshree” approaches them, they will reply positively, he said. “Those who wanted to become ministers but could not, or those who can lose the ministerial berth in the next cabinet expansion are in touch with us,” Raut claimed, without disclosing any names.
“The day Ajit Pawar joined the government, MLAs from the Shinde group began revolting. Many (Shinde bloc) MLAs from western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and Marathwada are sending messages that they want to seek forgiveness from ‘Matoshree’ and go (back) there,” he said.
Shiv Sena deputy leader and State Industries Minister Uday Samant dismissed these claims and said that six of the 13 MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction were, in fact, in touch with him. “Three-four MLAs spoke to me yesterday,” he told reporters.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said elsewhere that the government had majority and still a big group from the Nationalist Congress Party joined it.