Maharashtra crisis Come back to Mumbai, let's talk: Uddhav Thackeray's new appeal to rebel leaders
Mumbai/IBNS: Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde, who has triggered a massive crisis in Maharashtra politics, is headed to Mumbai finally, media reports said.
His travel plans suggest that he's ready to fuel the next big move against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, a no-confidence vote, which would force the former to prove that his majority in the government.
Perhaps eyeing the no-confidence vote, Thackeray on Tuesday sent a letter to the 40 MLAs from his own party who had deserted him.
"Come back to Mumbai, let's talk, we'll find a way (out)," read Thackeray's emotional appeal to Shinde's camp.
Thackeray and his team, about 15 of the party's 55 MLAs, have repeatedly said that if he is brought face-to-face with those who have rejected him as their chief, the differences can be sorted.
Earlier it was reported in the media that Thackeray wanted to resign but was stopped twice by a senior alliance leader.
The name of the leader has not been revealed but speculations claim it was Sharad Pawar, the chief architect behind the forming Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition that melded ideologically opposed parties.
Pawar held multiple meetings with Thackeray amid the rebel crisis.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been given visiting rights to the Guwahati hotel where the Camp Shinde has put up even as the saffron party earlier denied having any role in triggering the political crisis in Maharashtra.
Shinde and his team have said that the Sena has been betrayed by its now three-year-old alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar's party in Maharashtra. They demand that Sena should realign with the BJP, its partner for 30 years till 2019.
