Spokesperson of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and a Rajya Sabha MP told the media in Delhi that six MPs from his party were offered an additional Rs 10 crore to split away from the party and join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
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Spokesperson of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and a Rajya Sabha MP told the media in Delhi that six MPs from his party were offered an additional Rs 10 crore to split away from the party and join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Raut made the statement after the six MPs failed to show up at the Uddhav-led Sena’s parliamentary party meeting at 11 am on Thursday. Later, Raut stated that the six missing Uddhav-led Sena MPs have been taken to a destination in Rajasthan, adding that legal measures have been taken to ensure the missing MPs are disqualified and lose their MP status in the Lok Sabha.
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However, Omraje Nimbalkar, one of the six missing Uddhav-led Sena MPs, told media persons in Pune that he will not attend any meeting. Speaking to media persons, Nimbalkar said, “I have not taken any political decision. Right now, the Pawanraje Nimbalkar murder case is the most important for me and my family. The verdict in this case will be announced on June 20. I will clarify my position only after the verdict is delivered.” Nimbalkar also told media persons that he is currently in Pune, not in Delhi or Rajasthan.
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Meanwhile, senior leader Sushma Andhare told the media that the six MPs had submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking approval for an independent group a day earlier than previously reported. Andhare said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena issued a whip to the six missing rebel MPs to attend the Uddhav-led Sena’s parliamentary party meeting at 11 am on Thursday only after they had already submitted the letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Andhare told media persons that due to this technical reason, the whip issued to the six missing MPs to attend the Uddhav Sena’s parliamentary party meeting at 11 am on Thursday, may be legally weak.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Sushma Andhare said, “The letter from the rebel MPs reached the Lok Sabha Speaker yesterday itself, while we issued the whip to them to attend the meeting only today. Therefore, we have been informed that our whip to the rebel MPs has been invalidated.”
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra state police intelligence department provided Y-plus category security to the six missing MPs: Sanjay Dina Patil, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Om Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Deshmukh and Sanjay Jadhav.
Earlier on Thursday in Delhi, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP stated, “If they (missing MPs) have the courage, they and Eknath Shinde should move around without security.”
In another important development, sources said that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke to the six missing Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena MPs via a conference call on Thursday after Wednesday midnight.
According to sources, Eknath Shinde had a detailed telephonic interaction with all the six missing MPs for about 30 minutes and he assured them that his party will stand firmly behind the six MPs until ‘Operation Tiger’ is successfully completed.
Sources said the entire operation was carried out in great secrecy keeping legal matters in mind. Sources also said it was decided not to make any official announcement immediately for the next two days and the next step will be taken by the six missing MPs, only after Eknath Shinde’s legal team studies the legal tactics being employed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
However, after the independent group of six missing members is approved, it is expected that this group of Uddhav Sena MPs will officially merge with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, most probably on Friday, June 19.
The original undivided Shiv Sena was founded by Bal Thackeray on June 19, 1966, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena celebrates this day with major foundation anniversary rallies and events across Mumbai. This time the foundation day anniversary celebrations will be held at NESCO ground in Goregaon East, where the six missing Uddhav Thackeray MPs are expected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena officially.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will hold its foundation day anniversary celebrations at the Shanmukhananda Hall in Matunga East on Friday, June 19, sources said.
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