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'Worried about you... come back': Uddhav Thackeray, Sena 'family head', appeals to rebels
Maharashtra news: Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said he and his rebel MLAs would return soon to Mumbai; "We are in Shiv Sena... There should not be any doubt about it," he declared.
Uddhav Thackeray made a passionate appeal to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs Tuesday, urging them to return and engage in dialogue to resolve their issues. Thackeray made the appeal hours after a bullish Eknath Shinde - who leads the revolt and commands the support of, he says, nearly 50 lawmakers - said his faction will return shortly to Mumbai ahead of a possible floor test and, in response to claims rebels are reaching out to the Sena- that 'no MLA is suppressed here'.
"You (the rebel MLAs) have been stuck in Guwahati for the last few days. Every day new information is coming forth about you... many of you are in touch with us and you are still in Shiv Sena. Some family members also contacted me..."
"I respect your feelings as the head of the Shiv Sena family. As the head, I tell you from the bottom of my heart... get rid of the confusion, there will be a definite way out of it, we will sit together and find a way out of it," Thackeray - who on Friday made back-to-back appeals, said.
"Don't fall prey to any missteps... the honor given to you by Shiv Sena cannot be found anywhere," the chief minister added - a pointed note of his own to steer the rebels away from defecting to the Bharatiya Janata Party - "If you come forward and speak we will sort out the issues. As Shiv Sena party chief and family head, I am still worried about you. Come here for a dialogue."
Uddhav Thackeray is set to hold a cabinet meeting later in the day.
Earlier today Eknath Shinde stepped out the Radisson Blu, the luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam to announce his camp's return to Mumbai.
"We are in Shiv Sena... we are taking Shiv Sena forward. There should not be any doubt about it," he told reporters. "No MLA is suppressed here, everyone is happy. MLAs are with us. If Shiv Sena says that the legislators present here are in contact with them... they should reveal the names," he added.
READ: In Assam for a week, rebel Eknath Shinde 'will be in Mumbai soon’
The numbers suggest Uddhav Thackeray's 2.5-year-old MVA government is in trouble - Shinde needs only 37 MLAs to circumvent the anti-defection law, and he is reported to have around 40 with him, excluding independent lawmakers.
The Sena moved last week to disqualify 16 MLAs, including Shinde. If successful, that would have settled the issue in one stroke, leaving the rebels without a leader and their camp with not enough numbers to affect the MVA.
The rebels responded by moving the Supreme Court and, on Monday, the court stayed the notice and gave the rebels time till July 12 to file their response.
The top court's move seen as prompting Shinde's decision to return.
