Mumbai: Newly-elected Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction member of parliament (MP) Naresh Mhaske on Saturday claimed that two elected candidates from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction are ready to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He said that four more MPs will soon join them and all of them will cross over to the Shinde faction together in order to avoid disqualification under the anti defection law.
“Some people have contacted us as they have realised their mistakes. They are going to set themselves apart from UBT,” Mhaske said.
The Shinde-led Shiv Sena won seven Lok Sabha seats, while Shiv Sena (UBT) won nine seats. Mhaske’s statement came after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut that several MPs and MLAs are keen to return to the Thackeray faction.
“The two Lok Sabha members were unhappy with the manner in which Uddhav Thackeray sought votes from a particular community, who came in busloads,” Mhaske said.
The first time MP said the Uddhav Sena MPs won in the recently held Lok Sabha election on the votes they got from a particular community. “They (Uddhav Sena) do not have support of all sections of society. The Assembly elections will show them their place,” he said.
Earlier, Raut said no decision or thought have been given to whether to take back such MLAs. “The MLAs are not in touch with me but are in touch with our party leaders. After their defeat in the Lok Sabha, they have realised where they stand and therefore have gotten in touch with our leaders,” Raut said.
