Pawar, Thackeray hold many meetings with MLAs who are lodged in hotels

Mumbai, Nov 24: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel and AICC general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge held a string of meetings with Maharashtra Congress leaders and MLAs throughout the day. Congress MLAs are staying at J W Marriott in Juhu.

A day after NCP's Ajit Pawar aligned with the BJP and took oath as deputy chief minister, top leaders of the BJP and opposition Congress-Shiv Sena-NCP combine held a series of separate meetings to brace themselves for an impending floor test.

According to sources, Patel and Kharge coordinated with the legal team of senior Congress leaders-cum-lawyers Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Delhi. The Sena-Congress-NCP combine had moved the supreme court on Saturday demanding that the floor test be held within 24 hours.

However, the apex court on Sunday said it would deal with the matter on Monday. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray met MLAs of the NCP at hotel Renaissance in suburban Powai along with Sharad Pawar.

Thackeray also interacted with the MLAs of his party at Hotel Lalit near the Mumbai international airport, and asked them to "cautious". "Spread out so that you can keep a watch on who is around you," he told the MLAs. Meanwhile, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, who is said to be close to Ajit Pawar, tweeted, "I am with the NCP. I am with Pawar saheb. Please don't spread rumours".

PTI