Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 28 (ANI): As the political fight between Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena dissident Eknath Shinde intensified, rebel MLA Uday Samant has clarified that he is still in Shiv Sena but took the decision to go with Shinde as he was fed up with the conspiracy of the allies to weaken the party.
"I have come to Guwahati because I am fed up with the conspiracy of the allies to weaken the Shiv Sena for the last few days," he said.
"I want to tell everyone that I am still in Shiv Sena, I only want Shiv Sena of Balaaheb Thackeray to be free from the clutches of its allies," he added.
He further said that by rejecting Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje's candidature in the Rajya Sabha elections, the party decided to send a true "Shiv Sainik" Sanjay Pawar to the Rajya Sabha, but the allies tried everything to stop him from getting elected in the election.
"That is why to save Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray. We have decided to go with Eknath Shinde who is carrying forward the Hindutva," Samant said.
The political tussle in Maharashtra between Shiv Sena and the rebel group led by Eknath Shinde has now reached the Supreme Court. The pleas filed by the breakaway camp challenge the disqualification proceedings against Shinde and 15 other rebel MLAs.
On Monday, a separate plea was filed by Shinde in the top court regarding the safety of the legislators who have challenged party chief and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala heard the pleas on Monday.
The Supreme Court granted interim relief to rebel Shiv Seva leader Eknath Shinde and other MLAs to file their reply to disqualification notices issued to them by the Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly by July 12, 5.30 pm.
Meanwhile, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who is currently camping in a hotel in Assam's Guwahati, on Tuesday claimed that he has the support of 50 MLAs and will soon return to Mumbai.
On the claim of Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray that 15 to 20 MLAs had claimed that they had been abducted and had reached out to the party to bring them back to Mumbai from Guwahati, Shinde said that "no MLA has been suppressed" and all are with him of their own will.
He further said that the rebel MLAs were in favour of Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva and enthused about carrying it forward.
Earlier a day, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis arrived at the residence of party president JP Nadda in Delhi as the crisis in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra has further deepened.
He came to Delhi after a core committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Maharashtra unit was held on Monday to discuss the state's political situation. (ANI)
Source: National