18 MLAs From Shinde Group Are In Touch With Sena (UBT), Claims Sanjay Raut

 Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday claimed that 17-18 MLAs from the rival Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were in touch with his party since NCP leader Ajit Pawar joined the state government.

Sena minister Uday Samant countered him by claiming that six of 13 MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction were in touch with him.

"Since Ajit Pawar and other NCP leaders joined the government, 17-18 MLAs from the Shinde camp have contacted us," Mr Raut claimed, talking to reporters here.

Mr Raut's colleague and the party's Lok Sabha MP Vinayak Raut said the Shinde faction MLAs have started "revolting" after the rebel NCP MLAs were made ministers.

Many MLAs have also said that if "Matoshree" (name of Uddhav Thackeray's residence) approaches them, they will reply positively, he said.

"Those who wanted to become ministers but could not, or those who can lose the ministerial berth in the next cabinet expansion are in touch with us," Vinayak Raut claimed, without disclosing any names.

"The day Ajit Pawar joined the government, MLAs from the Shinde group began revolting. Many (Shinde faction) MLAs from western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and Marathwada are sending messages that they want to seek forgiveness from 'Matoshree' and go (back) there," he said.

Shiv Sena deputy leader and state industries minister Uday Samant dismissed these claims and said that six of the 13 MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction were, in fact, in touch with him.

"Three-four MLAs spoke to me yesterday," he told reporters. Sanjay Raut also said that the government had majority and still a big group from the Nationalist Congress Party joined it.

It meant the Shinde-led Sena was not needed anymore, he said, pointing out that Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs were administered oath as ministers, but no one from Shinde's group was sworn in.

Maharashtra will get a new chief minister soon, he further claimed.

But Samant dismissed rumours that chief minister Shinde would be stepping down.

"Whatever has happened, CM Shinde had also taken initiative (to make it happen)," he said.

Some legislators from the Shinde camp said the chief minister was working to assuage their concerns, and there was nothing to worry.

Shinde, who chaired a meeting of Shiv Sena legislators on Wednesday, was always in the loop about the developments which culminated in Ajit Pawar taking oath as deputy CM on July 2, they said.

Gajanan Kirtikar, MP from the Shinde-led Sena, had said on Wednesday that the induction of the rebel NCP group in the cabinet had dented the prospects of ministerial aspirants from the BJP and Shiv Sena, leaving some of them upset, and Shinde was aware of their sentiments.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)