Amidst the political drama in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday claimed that the legislators who have been camping in Surat face serious threats.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra appears to be in crisis after Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde and some MLAs of his party have gone incommunicado and camping in Surat, a day after suspected cross-voting in MLC polls, putting a question mark on the stability of the MVA dispensation.
Raut claimed that legislators tried to escape from Surat and conveyed that they may be killed.
He also confirmed that legislators have established communication with them and another meeting will be held in the evening.
Speaking about the meeting chaired by Uddhav Thackeray with Sena MLAs, Raut said that the CM told all efforts will made for survival of the MVA govt.
He also lashed out at the BJP for allegedly carrying out 'Operation Lotus' in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde has been removed as the party's group leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by Shiv Sena.
He has been replaced with Ajay Choudhury.
Eknath Shinde gave his first reaction on the ongoing political crisis triggered by him in the state.
"We are staunch Shiv Sainiks of Balasaheb who gave us lessons on Hindutva. We will never cheat for power and will never abandon the teachings of Balasaheb and Anand Dighe for power," Shinde tweeted in Marathi.
The late Dighe, a Shiv Sena stalwart from Thane, was the political mentor of Shinde.