Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde along with other party MLAs arrived in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam early this morning. 

They were received by BJP leaders Sushanta Borgohain and Pallab Lochan Das.

Speaking to reporters at the Guwahati airport, Eknath Shinde claimed he has support of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs and six Independents, and they will carry forward Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology.

“We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and will not leave it,” he said.

Before leaving for Assam, Eknath Shinde and other party MLAs had been camping in a Surat hotel in Gujarat – another BJP-ruled state.

The move to shift them to Guwahati came shortly after his telephonic conversation with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The crisis in Maharashtra unfolded after suspected cross-voting in Monday’s Legislative Council elections in which BJP won five of 10 seats, although its own numbers entitled the party to four seats.

In the meantime, Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde has dismissed party chief and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s summons for a meeting with party MLAs this evening “invalid”.

“Shiv Sena MLA Shri Bharat Gogavale has been appointed as the Chief Representative of Shiv Sena Legislature. The reason is that the orders issued by Mr. Sunil Prabhu regarding today’s meeting of MLAs are legally invalid,” Shinde tweeted.

This is another big jolt for Uddhav Thackeray as rebel Sena leader Shinde declared that Bharat Gogavale and not Sunil Prabhu is the Chief Representative of Shiv Sena Legislature, who according to him has the sole right to issue a whip to party MLAs.

The Sena had issued a whip to its MLAs, saying absence from the 5 pm meet will mean ouster from the party.

Shiv Sena has summoned all MLAs to a meeting at Varsha, the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The summon was sent through WhatsApp, email and SMS, media reported.

“If you do not attend this meeting at 5 pm today, it will be presumed that you intend to leave the party and your membership is liable to be cancelled under the law,” the letter said.