As Maharashtra sees high political drama amid following Maharashtra minister and top Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde reportedly moving to Meridian hotel in Surat in BJP-ruled Gujarat with 21 other party MLAs, the wife of Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh has filed a missing complaint in the local police station. She suspects a threat to his life.
MLA Nitin Deshmukh represents the Balapur Assembly constituency in Maharashtra and is one of the MLAs who went to Gujarat's Surat with Mr Shinde.
Pranjali, Mr Deshmukh's wife, submitted a written complaint to the Akola police station saying she last spoke to her husband on a phone call at 7 pm on June 20 and hasn't been able to communicate with him since as his phone has been switched off.
She has said she suspects there might be a threat to Mr Deshmukh's life.
Mr Deshmukh was reportedly taken to a hospital in Surat after complaining of being unwell.
Mr Shinde, who is reportedly upset and is "unreachable", caused a huge political storm in Maharashtra after speculations of him crossing over to the BJP. Sources said there are a total of 22 Sena MLAs at the hotel, five of them ministers, and an Independent MLA. Uddhav Thackeray has called an emergency meeting at his residence and Sena sources said at least 35 Sena MLAs are present there.
Targeting the BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said there is a conspiracy to topple the Uddhav Thackeray government in the "same pattern as in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan". "Shiv Sena is a party of loyalists. We won't let that happen," he said.
Eknath Shinde is not Mumbai, Mr Raut confirmed but claimed that communication has been established with him.
Mr Raut accused the BJP of trying to weaken Sena in Maharashtra. "Gujarat leaders have kept them in Surat. We spoke to several of them who want to come back but aren't being allowed to. It's a siege," he said.
