Eknath Shinde with rebel Shiv Sena MLAs at Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati.
In its request to disqualify 16 Shiv Sena rebels, Uddhav Thackeray's team has alleged that "delinquent MLAs" are working to create distrust in the party and overthrow the government. The party cites similar circumstances in Karnataka, where the disqualification of rebels had been backed by the Supreme Court.
"The respondent along with his cohorts are indulging in anti-party activities by orchestrating defections within the (Shiv Sena) in order to destabilize the MVA government," says the disqualification petition.
"They have remained mysteriously inaccessible in pursuance of their sinister objective of toppling the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government."
The Shiv Sena, calling attention of the Speaker to "certain blatant and brazen actions" of MLAs, accuses them of committing the constitutional "sin" of defection.
"The respondent along with certain other delinquent MLAs are working in connivance to create distrust in the party and consequently overthrow the government, by going against the directions, will and ideology of the Party," the Sena alleges.
The MLAs had gone incommunicado and had also deliberately stayed absent from meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, the petition says. The meetings were called to discuss cross-voting in key elections, it says.
"Such conduct on the part of the respondent as well as on the part of the other delinquent MLAs, acting under the directions of the BJP, gives rise to a legitimate inference that the respondent has voluntarily relinquished membership of the SSLP," says the Sena.
The party also accuses the BJP at the centre and state of "holding a grudge" against the Shiv Sena for forming a coalition government with the Congress and NCP and "making concerted efforts to orchestrate division/defection within the Shiv Sena".
It says "the scheming of the BJP" to divide the Sena led to crossvoting and the party losing a seat to the BJP.
The Deputy Speaker is expected today to send notices to the rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas have been filed, party sources told NDTV.
The rebel MLAs are preparing to move Supreme Court once notices are issued to them, sources have told NDTV. The Eknath Shinde camp is also expected to move the Election Commission staking claim for the party and the symbol, sources added.