Mumbai: With the political impasse in Maharashtra showing no sign of ending, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday summoned party MLAs to discuss the next course of action at his residence, Matoshree, on Friday.
Interestingly, the MLAs have also been told to carry their Aadhaar and PAN cards and five sets of clothing, as they would be required to stick together for next few days.
A Sena MLA from the Marathwada region, requesting anonymity, said, “We have been told that we might need to present ourselves before the governor should the Sena decide to stake claim to form the government with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress’ support.”
The legislators, however, have not been told where they will be corralled after the meeting.
According to sources, this could well be a ploy by the Sena to reassure their MLAs that the party’s talks with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party regarding the government formation are on “right track”.
The Congress and the NCP have still not confirmed their support to Sena-led government, which has led to uneasiness in the saffron party.
When contacted, former Congress legislator from the Sillod Assembly constituency, Abdul Sattar, who joined the Sena just before Assembly election, confirmed that Sena MLAs had been summoned to Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut and NCP chief Sharad Pawar met for 15 minutes at the latter’s 6 Janpath residence in Delhi on Tuesday. This was the second meeting between the Sena leader and NCP chief this week.
Pawar — after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday — had said that he did not discuss the Shiv Sena or government formation in the state with Sonia Gandhi.
However, the Sena is certain that no party can form the government without them in Maharashtra and is willing to wait for the Congress and NCP’s decision.
Raut has also said the talks with Congress and NCP “are on the right track”.
