Maharashtra: Union Minister Raosaheb Danve junks Saamana report claiming Shinde camp's 22 MLAs joining BJP

Jalna: Union Minister Raosaheb Danve on October 27, Thursday, refuted the speculation that legislators of Shiv Sena camp led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may form a group with intention of merging with the BJP.

Danve's comments came in the light of claims made by Sena-led by Uddhav Thackeray in their editorial published in Saamana which claimed that 22 MLAs from the Shinde camp are unhappy and were thinking of defecting to BJP.

The senior BJP leader said there was no need for such a move as the Shinde group and his party were in alliance and were running the state government smoothly and efficiently.

The senior BJP leader then claimed that legislators from the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party were in fact on the verge of defecting.

"The opposition is spreading rumours about some MLAs of Shinde group wanting to defect. Actually, legislators from these opposition parties are seeking to defect," Danve claimed.

Shiv Sena claims 22 MLAs' defection

Sena in their weekly editorial Roktok saod, "Now everyone has understood that his chief ministerial uniform will be taken off anytime. Shinde's group should have fielded a candidate in the Andheri East by-election. But it was the BJP that avoided it," the Rokthok column in Saamana claimed.

“The Shinde faction’s claim of success in the gram panchayat and sarpanch elections of Maharashtra is false. At least 22 MLAs of the Shinde group are upset. Majority of these MLAs will merge themselves with the BJP,” the column stated.