The Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray, in its mouthpiece Saamana, claimed that 22 out of the 40 MLAs in Eknath Shinde-led Sena will soon join the BJP. In its weekly column, the party claimed Eknath Shinde as Maharashtra Chief Minister is a "temporary arrangement" made by the BJP.
"Now everyone has understood that his chief ministerial uniform will be taken off anytime. Shinde's group should have fielded a candidate in the Andheri East by-election. But it was the BJP that avoided it," the Rokthok column in Saamana claimed. The Shinde faction’s claim of success in the gram panchayat and sarpanch elections of Maharashtra is false. At least 22 MLAs of the Shinde group are upset. Majority of these MLAs will merge themselves with the BJP,” the column stated.
It further claimed that Shinde has caused great damage to himself and Maharashtra and the state will not forgive him. The BJP will continue to use Shinde for their benefit, the Uddhav-led Sena claimed in its mouthpiece. The column also mentions a conversation with a BJP leader who claimed that the government is run by 40 MLAs of the Shinde group and they are in 'control' of the CMO.