GUWAHATI: With the arrival of two more Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat and with the blessings of “a big national party,” rebel leader Eknath Shinde and his men have positioned themselves to take their own decision, either to stake claim as ‘real Sena’ or form a new group or merge with BJP, without attracting anti-defection penalties. A member of the legislative council also accompanied them.
Shinde’s strength has been building up ever since he and his men were shifted here from Surat on Wednesday morning. But he was still short of the all-crucial mark of 37, which would provide the immunity to him and his Sena men from disqualification should they decide to walk out of Uddhav Thackeray’s hold, until Dadaji Bhause and Sanjay Rathod landed at Guwahati from Surat by a chartered aircraft at 9 pm along with MLC Ravindra Phatak.
