Setback for Uddhav Thackeray faction as seven of 19 MPs skip meeting at Matoshree

Mumbai: In a setback to the Uddhav Thackeray faction, seven of the 19 Lok Sabha MPs of Shiv Sena decided to remain absent during a meeting at Matoshree bungalow on Monday. The MPs, who were absent at the meeting at the Shiv Sena chief's official residence include - Bhawna Gawli, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Mandlik, Hemant Patil, Shrikant Shinde, Kripal Tumane, and Kalaben Delkar.

The ones who attended the meeting included - Gajanan Kirtikar, Arvind Sawant, Vinayak Raut, Hemant Godse, Dhairyasheel Mane, Pratap Jadhav, Sadashiv Lokhande, Rahul Shewale, Shrirang Barne, Rajan Vichare, Omraje Nimbalkar and Rajendra Gavit.

The development comes shortly after the Supreme court asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to not take any action on the disqualification notices issued against members of Shiv Sena.

"Please inform the Assembly Speaker not to take any decision until the plea is decided. Please inform the speaker through your office," the CJI told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who said that the message would be conveyed to the Assembly Speaker.

Shortly before, Uddhav Thackeray thanked 15 MLAs who remained with him through the political turmoil in Maharashtra that witnessed the Shiv Sena break into two factions - one led by the Shiv Sena chief, and other by Eknath Shinde, who became the chief Minister with support from the BJP.

It may be noted that 39 MLAs belong to the faction of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 14 belong to the Uddhav Thackeray group. Meanwhile, the Congress party, which was a part of the now dethroned Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) said that the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra is 'unconstitutional'. "If constitutional experts are to be believed, SC may hand down judgement against current Maharashtra administration. It implies that the Shinde government is unconstitutional. All decisions taken by the Shinde government would be unconstitutional in nature," Congress' Atul Londhe said.

He further added that the Shiv Sena MLAs who revolted against the party and backed the BJP must realize that the BJP would soon dump them.