'Will Go to Mumbai Soon, 50 MLAs With Me': Eknath Shinde Amid Maharashtra Crisis

Shinde said that all the rebel MLAs had sided with him of their own accord and for Hindutva.

Eknath Shinde.

(Photo: The Quint)

Maharashtra rebel minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday, 28 June, that all the Shiv Sena rebels who are currently camping in Guwahati will return to Mumbai soon.

"We will return to Mumbai soon. We are still in the Shiv Sena," Shinde told reporters in Guwahati.

He also claimed that 50 MLAs were with him in Guwahati and that they had come of their own accord and for Hindutva.

He also asked the Shiv Sena to disclose names of the rebel MLAs who are reportedly in contact with the party, as it had claimed earlier.

"No MLA is suppressed here, everyone here is happy. MLAs are with us. If Shiv Sena says that the MLAs present here are in contact with them, they should reveal the names," Shinde said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday stripped nine rebel ministers of their portfolios.

This comes a day after he was authorised to take action against rebel leaders in the party's key executive meeting held in Mumbai.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court ordered a maintenance of the status quo in the political crisis till 11 July, when it will resume hearing the pleas by Shinde and 15 other rebel Shiv Sena MLAs regarding the disqualification proceedings against them.

The rebels have also been given till 11 July to respond to the disqualification notices sent to them.