Maharashtra political turmoil: Sharad Pawar to meet Uddhav Thackeray as rebellion grows

Mumbai, Jun 21: NCP chief Sharad Pawar is likely to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, amid reports of growing rebellion in the Maharashtra government. State minister Eknath Shinde along with some party legislators have gone incommunicado since the MLC poll results were declared on Monday.

Pawar is in Delhi to chair opposition parties to discuss the candidate for the Presidential election.

The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA- also comprising the NCP and Congress) suffered a setback on Monday when it lost out of six seats it contested in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls.

Subsequently, Shinde along with some Shiv Sena MLAs went incommunicado. They were camping at a hotel in Gujarat's Surat city, according to sources. On Tuesday, CM Thackeray, who is also the Shiv Sena president, held a meeting where party MLAs Sunil Kadam, Dada Bhuse, Neelam Gorhe, MPs Arvind Sawant and Vinayak Raut, MLC Manisha Kayande and other leaders were present.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said Shinde is not in Mumbai, but a communication has been established with him. Raut asserted that the Sena is a party of loyalists and attempts by the BJP, like in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, to topple the MVA government would not succeed.

He also said Shinde was a trusted Shiv Sainik, and that the 'missing' MLAs will be back after the party is able to reach out the them.