Maharashtra crisis: In touch with 20 MLAs, says Sanjay Raut as more rebels reach Assam

Mumbai, Jun 23: Shiv Sena national spokesperson Sanjay Raut has said that the party is in touch with at least 20 of the rebel MLAs.

"I won't talk about any camp, I will talk about my party. Our party is strong even to this day...About 20 MLAs are in touch with us...when they come to Mumbai, you will get to know...will soon be revealed, in what circumstances, pressure these MLAs left us," Raut told reporters.

"He who leaves the party under ED pressure is not a true Balasaheb Bhakt. We're true Balasaheb Bhakts...even we have ED pressure but will continue to stand with Uddhav Thackeray...When the floor test happens everyone will see who's positive and who is negative...," Raut added.

Amid the political crisis in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, three more Shiv Sena MLAs joined the rebel camp led by cabinet minister Eknath Shinde.

Shinde will consult the MLAs with him and then decide when to return to Mumbai.

Shinde had claimed the support of 46 legislators, including some Independents. He had given a letter to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly's deputy speaker, signed by 35 Sena MLAs, replacing Sunil Prabhu with Bharat Gogavale as the chief whip of the Shiv Sena legislature party.

Shinde has maintained that while the NCP and the Congress were growing stronger in the MVA alliance, the Shiv Sena, which heads the governing bloc, and its workers were getting systematically weakened.

Shinde has claimed the support of 46 MLAs and this is more than enough to circumvent the anti defection law and bring down the government.

The Sena has 55 members in the 288 member assembly while allies NCP and Congress have 53 and 44 respectively. The MVA is also backed by 14 other MLAs and together it has the support of 166 in the assembly where the magic number is 144.