Maharashtra crisis: Sena seeks disqualification of 12 MLAs, more legislators join Shinde camp

With Uddhav Thackeray failing to keep his flock together, more MLAs joined the rebels camped in Assam. News agency ANI reported that more Maharashtra legislators belonging to the Shiv Sena arrived late night on 23 June in Guwahati and were seen travelling to the hotel where the rebels led by minister Eknath Shinde are staying.

Meanwhile, the tussle to gain control of the party in the Maharashtra Assembly intensified. 37 rebel MLAs wrote to the Assembly's Deputy Speaker stating that Shinde will remain the party's leader in the House.

This came after the Deputy Speaker, Narhari Zirwal, approved the appointment of Ajay Chaudhary as Shinde's replacement as Sena's group leader in the Assembly.

At the same time, Uddhav's camp appealed to Deputy Speaker to take action against 12 MLAs who had skipped the legislature party meeting. The MLAs against which Uddhav Thackeray's group sought action reportedly included Eknath Shinde, Prakash Surve, Tanaji Sawant, Mahesh Shinde, Abdul Sattar, Sandeep Bhumare, Bharat Gogawale, Sanjay Shirsat, Yamini Yadhav, Anil Babar, Balaji Devdas, and Lata Chaudhari.

In response, rebel leader Eknath Shinde asked, "Whom are you trying to scare?" In a tweet, Shinde claimed that whips can be enforced only for Assembly work, and not meetings. Whips refer to compulsory attendance orders.

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