Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande joins other rebel MLAs at Guwahati hotel

The political crisis for the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) deepened as the support for the rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde swelled on Friday. Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande on Friday joined the other rebel MLAs with Eknath Shinde at Guwahati hotel. Shinde has claimed he has the support of 38 Shiv Sena MLAs.

Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, "We won't relent...we'll win on floor of the house (State Assembly). If this battle is fought on roads, we'll win that too. We gave opportunity to those who left, now it's too late. I challenge them to come on floor of the house. MVA govt will complete rest of 2.5 yrs".

We will win on the Floor of the House, we won't give up. They (MLAs) have taken a very wrong step. We also gave them a chance to return to Mumbai. Now, we challenge them to come to Mumbai, added Raut.

CM Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar ji are in constant touch. All leaders of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena are in touch with each other, he said.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar assured that the MVA government will continue under Thackeray and Vidhan Sabha is the only way to ascertain whether the alliance has a majority or not. The Shiv Sena with 55 MLAs heads the MVA government in the state, NCP with 53 legislators and the Congress party having 44 MLAs are the alliance partners in the state government. Maharashtra's Legislative Assembly has a strength of 288 members.