Maharashtra Political Crisis: 15-20 rebel Sena MLAs in touch, urging us to bring them back to Mumbai, says Aaditya Thackeray

Maharashtra tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday claimed 15 to 20 Shiv Sena MLAs who have joined the rebel camp are in touch with him and have urged the party to bring them back to Mumbai from Guwahati, where they are lodged in a hotel along with Cabinet minister Eknath Shinde whose rebellion has pushed the MVA government into a major crisis.

Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday sought to play down Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant joining rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde and said, "it is his decision". "It is his decision. But he will come before us someday, he will have to look us in the eye someday. Let's see," Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said.

Shiv Sena leaders on Monday addressed meetings in the constituencies of three rebel MLAs in Aurangabad region in a show of support for Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Sena leaders Chandrakant Khaire, Vinod Ghosalkar and MLC Ambadas Danve addressed party workers in Vaijapur, Aurangabad West and Aurangabad Central seats, which are represented by Ramesh Bornare, Sanjay Shirsat and Pradip Jaiswal, respectively. They said similar meetings are also planned in the Assembly constituencies of Sandipan Bhumre (Paithan) and Abdul Sattar (Sillod).

Facing a revolt within his own ranks, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was ready to resign on June 22 at 5 pm after it was clear that there was "no way out" of the political crisis facing Maharashtra government but MVA allies convinced him not to resign, sources said. The sources said that Uddhav Thackeray was in touch with BJP leaders to find a way out of the political crisis facing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government that includes the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress apart from Shiv Sena.

Senior leaders of Congress and NCP met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, hours after the Supreme Court kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Assembly Deputy Speaker till July 11 and sought responses to pleas by rebel MLAs questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification. “We are alliance partners. We will sit together and discuss things,” state Congress chief Nana Patole told reporters outside Matoshri bungalow, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence in suburban Bandra, after meeting him late evening. Congress minister and former CM Ashok Chavan also met Thackeray.

The luxury hotel in Guwahati, where dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is camping with other MLAs from Maharashtra, on Monday extended the closure of all bookings for the public till July 5.Till Monday afternoon, the Radisson Blu hotel was not taking any bookings till June 30, as per its website.Later in the evening, if a booking was attempted on any day till July 5, the website prompted, "There is no availability for the dates and rate type you selected. We recommend changing dates or selecting a different rate type when available."