12 Out Of 18 Shiv Sena MPs Announce Allegiance To Shinde Camp

In a major boost to CM Eknath Shinde, the Shiv Sena parliamentary party is heading for a split, with 12 out of 18 MPs pledging support to the Shinde camp. The breakaway faction has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with a plea to recognise them as a separate group with Rahul Shewale as their leader.

According to PTI, a Shiv Sena Lok Sabha member had claimed that at least 12 of the 18 Sena members will meet Birla to submit a formal letter to recognise it as a separate group and also hold a joint press conference.

On Monday, a group of Shiv Sena MPs attended a virtual meeting of the “national executive” chaired by CM Shinde. During the meeting, the MPs appointed Shinde as the “chief leader” of the party.

It is being speculated that the two Shiv Sena MPs out of the 'rebel group' would be offered ministerial berth in the NDA government at the centre.

Meanwhile, amidst the possibility of Shiv Sena MPs breaking away from the Thackeray camp, 12 Lok Sabha MPs of Shiv Sena have been provided Y-level security by the central and state government. Security around the homes of Shiv Sena’s Lok Sabha MPs has been beefed up.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is in New Delhi to review the legal strategy on the disqualification petition against 16 MLAs supporting him filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

The apex court is scheduled to hear on July 20 a batch of pleas pertaining to the recent happenings in Maharashtra that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

CM Shinde is also likely to meet the rebel group of Shiv Sena MPs in the national capital on Tuesday.

(With inputs from PTI).