Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday dared Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to poach his MPs even as eight parliamentarians rejected claims that they will abandon the opposition party.
His assertion came amid buzz that Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs could join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant on Friday said many leaders from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) were in contact with his party and would be inducted in phases.
People have realized that Shinde's leadership is better than the Shiv Sena (UBT). His leadership is good and sensitive, which is why so many people are in touch. Many people are reaching out to the party, and it is sure that they will enter the fold phase-wise," Samant said.
"If any mission is to be undertaken, it is not done openly. There is no need to implement any mission here, considering the work Shinde has done," he asserted.
Several Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries and former corporators from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Akola joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Shinde.
"Everyone is in touch. When I was the CM, people of all parties came to me. Now I am the deputy CM and I hold the urban development, housing and MSRDC portfolios. People are in touch. I give importance to work. Do not ascribe any political meaning," Shinde said when asked whether Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs will join his party.
Countering, Thackeray said, "I dare you to try poaching Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs. I challenge you to take away even a single Shiv Sena worker without using police and government machinery and central agencies." In Delhi, eight Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentarians – Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Omraje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Rajabhau Waje, Sanjay Jadhav, Nagesh Ashtikar and Sanjay Deshmukh asserted that they were firmly with the Thackeray-led party.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine members in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha.
Sawant insisted that the calls were purely "rumour-spreading" and that none of the Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs received any calls. They denounced the attempts to "spread rumours" of mass desertions from the Thackeray-led party.
The former Union minister said that the Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were with the party in tough times and will be called upon again.
Both factions have been locked in a power tussle since the BJP-led Mahayuti swept to power in Maharashtra in November, leaving the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with just 46 seats in the 288-member assembly.
Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 57 seats in the assembly polls, pushing it into the driving seat for the crucial local bodies elections scheduled to take place later this year.
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