"12 MPs of Shiv Sena are ready to leave the party and are on the verge of joining the Eknath Shinde camp," the Union minister and Jalna MP Raosaheb Danve said. The Shiv Sena has 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
Noting that ‘Shinde faction is the true Shiv Sena’ with (55) MLAs, he added, "I am confident that the Supreme Court and the Election Commission will rule in favour of the Shinde faction."
Shiv Sena to support Droupadi Murmu
On whether Uddhav Thackeray camp will support Murmu in the Presidential election, Danve said, "If Uddhav Thackeray supports the NDA candidate, I will welcome such a decision. I feel Sena might support Murmu as she hails from a tribal community. A large number of Adivasis live in our country, and this is for the first time that a tribal will become the President of India."
Earlier in the day, 13 Lok Sabha MPs of the Shiv Sena physically attended a key meeting held at Uddhav's private residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai on the presidential elections and a majority of them suggested supporting Murmu.
Face mid-term elections: Thackeray to Shinde
Meanwhile, on the bow and arrow symbol row, the former Maharashtra chief minister said, nobody can take away Shiv Sena's ‘bow and arrow’ symbol. "According to law, no one can take away the bow and arrow symbol from Shiv Sena. I am saying this after talking to constitutional experts," said Thackeray while speaking to reporters at his residence 'Matoshree' last week.
He also dared the rebels to face mid-term elections, saying that people should be allowed to take a stand on the toppling of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The Shiv Sena as a political party and a legislature party are two separate identities, he said, adding that even if just one, 50 or even 100 MLAs leave the party, it does not cease to exist.
"Confusion is being created. Legislature party and registered party are two different identities. No one can take along the party workers with them," Thackeray said.
"There should be mid-term polls. If we have made a mistake, people will not favour us and that will be acceptable to us," he added.
