MAHARASHTRA CRISIS
have issues only with the government and also say that you are true Shiv Sainiks... Your demand will be considered. But come and talk with Uddhav Thackeray,” he added.
Raut further claimed that 21 MLAs in Guwahati have contacted the Sena leadership and when they return to Mumbai, they will be with the party.
“Uddhav Thackeray will come back to Varsha (the chief minister’s official residence, which he moved out of late on Wednesday) very soon. 21 MLAs in Guwahati have contacted us and when they return to Mumbai, they will be with us,” he added.
Following Raut’s remarks, the Congress said it does not want to interfere in the Sena’s “internal matter” but asserted confidence in the chief minister.
Party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said, “We have said earlier also we don’t want to impose our views on the Shiv Sena. This is their internal matter, we have confidence in chief minister Uddhav Thackeray… We are in touch with our Maharashtra colleagues and are confident that the BJP’s intention to topple a stable government and cause instability in the country will not succeed.”
Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Jayant Patil said, “We had a meeting at the residence of Sharad Pawar. An assessment of incidents in the last three-four days was done. Pawar sahib told us that we should do everything that needs to be done to ensure that the government remains. We will stand with Uddhav Thackeray, with this government.”
Earlier on Thursday, Shinde shared a letter by rebel Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat to Thackeray, claiming that Shinde had taken the step of going against the party leadership as party legislators, who faced “humilitation” for the last two-and-ahalf years, had persuaded him to do so.
Shirsat, the MLA from Aurangabad (West) assembly constituency, in a letter dated June 22, claimed that despite the Sena being in power and having its own chief minister, the coterie around Thackeray never allowed them access to Varsha.
There was no question of going to ‘Mantralaya’, the state secretariat, because the chief minister never came there, he claimed.
Meanwhile, Sena legislator Kailas Patil, who had escaped from a car carrying rebel MLAs to Surat, on Thursday claimed some of those taken to the camp led by Shinde might be wanting to return, but were forced to stay back.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Patil said, “There may be some MLAs who want to return, but are unable to come back due to pressure or other problems… The Shiv Sena made me a zilla parishad member and an MLA. My principles do not allow me to cheat the Shiv Sena. The others who were taken to Gujarat (from Mumbai) might also be having the same feeling.”