Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde led faction on Saturday asked the hotel management to extend its booking in Guwahati for two more days. More than 35 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and indendents who are supporting Shinde are camping in the five-star Radisson Blu Hotel.
The group of legislators from the Sena, as well as independents and other parties, is chilling out in around 70 rooms at the Guwahati hotel, booked for them at a whopping Rs 1.20 crore for at least a week, where they conduct a series of meetings as the crises boils over in Maharashtra.
According to sources of news agency ANI, Shinde led faction has asked the hotel to extend its booking for two more days as their booking is valid till June 28.
At both the cities, the two hotels, the airports and other locations where the MLAs travel singly or in groups, a fleet of vehicles at their disposal, they were provided tight security by central forces as well as local police, allegedly courtesy the two BJP-ruled state governments, according to MVA leaders.
The rebels, herded by Minister Eknath Shinde, spent a couple of days at the five-star Le Meridien Hotel in the diamond hub of Surat and later were taken in a chartered aircraft to Guwahati.
Meanwhile, the ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra today demanded to know who is picking up the flights and hotels bills of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, currently camping in Guwahati.
NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase has called upon the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate to probe the source of what he terms as 'black money'.
"Who is footing the bills of the hotels in Surat (Gujarat) and Guwahati (Assam) as well as the chartered flights?" asked Tapase.
His party colleague Clyde Crasto pointed out how the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is saying the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party "is supporting (rebel Shiv Sena MLAs) in Maharashtra".
However, the rebel group's spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said in Guwahati today evening that the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not behind the rebellion, nor is any party picking up their tabs but indicated that the MLAs are paying their own bills.
(with agency inputs)
