As rebel MLAs led by Eknath Shinde named their group 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb' amid the ongoing tussle with the Uddhav Thackeray faction, the Maharashtra Chief Minister on Saturday said that the former faction can take their own decisions but no one should use Balasaheb Thackeray's name.
Earlier today, former Minister of State for Home and rebel MLA Deepak Kesarkar toldthat Eknath Shinde-led MLAs have formed a new group 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'.
Addressing party leaders during the national executive committee meeting in the Shiv Sena Bhawan, Thackeray said, "Some people are asking me to say something but I've already said that they(rebel MLAs) can do whatever they want to do, I won't interfere in their matters. They can take their own decision, but no one should use Balasaheb Thackeray's name."
The Chief Minister later left the Shiv Sena Bhawan with Minister Aaditya Thackeray after the conclusion of the meeting.
Notably, the decision of the Shinde faction comes at a time when Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was holding the executive meeting of Shiv Sena. The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government continues to be in a combative mode with 38 of its rebel MLAs are camping in Guwahati.
Meanwhile, rebel Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the alleged 'malicious' withdrawal of security of family members of the 38 MLAs camping with him in a Guwahati hotel.
In his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Shinde claimed that the security provided to the MLAs at their residence as well as to their family members as per the protocol has been illegally and unlawfully withdrawn, as an act of revenge.
However, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil refuted Shinde's claim of withdrawal of security."Neither the Chief Minister nor the Home Department has ordered the withdrawal of security of any MLA. The allegations being levelled through Twitter are false and completely baseless.No MLA's security has been withdrawn. Keeping in view the prevailing situation, the Home Department has decided to provide security at the residence of MLAs to keep their families safe," said Patil.
Shinde along with 38 party MLAs and nine independent MLAs are campaigning at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam from June 22.
Notably, CM Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of the party's national executive committee on Saturday. The meeting will be held in Shiv Sena Bhavan which the Chief Minister will join virtually.
Besides, Shinde has also called a meeting at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati on Saturday afternoon to discuss further strategy, said sources.
Eknath Shinde faction, earlier on Friday, gave notice of a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Narhari Jhirwal, after the Uddhav Thackeray faction submitted a plea before the deputy speaker to disqualify the rebel MLAs.
On the other hand, Thackeray convened a meeting of the district chiefs virtually wherein he said that the rebel MLAs who are camping in Guwahati want to "break the party".
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor