Maharashtra crisis: Rebel Sena leader Shinde speaks to Raj Thackeray twice

Mumbai, Jun 27: Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shide on Sunday spoke to MNS chief Raj Thackeray over the phone amid the worsening political situation in Maharashtra.

A MNS leader confirmed the news and said that the rebel leader spoke about the recent political situation in Maharashtra and enquired about his health.

Dissident legislators of Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition, have been camping in Guwahati, around 2,700 km away from Mumbai, since June 22.

A group of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Shinde, were taken to Surat from Mumbai on June 21 and then flown to Guwahati the next day. Since then, several chartered flights carrying dissident MLAs have landed at LGBI Airport.

The Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat on Saturday issued summonses to 16 of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, seeking written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification.

The MLAs, after receiving the notices, have been huddling inside the hotel since Sunday morning, discussing various options to respond to the notices.