MUMBAI: Four out of 26 legislators were absent from the Shiv Sena (UBT) meeting called by party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, the first day of the monsoon session of the state legislature. Uddhav told the legislators to aggressively raise questions related to farmers and public issues in the House in a systematic manner. He also asked them to put up a united face amid the crisis caused by the defection of six MPs. He further instructed the MLAs/MLCs to hold meetings with party workers in the constituencies of the rebel MPs. Three MLAs and one MLC were not present and are said to have informed the party that they would not be able to attend the meeting, citing MLC polls, ill health, and personal work as reasons for their absence. MLAs Sanjay Derkar, Rahul Patil, and Sanjay Potnis, along with MLC Sunil Shinde, were absent from the meeting. The meeting gained significance amid the defection of six MPs from the party to Eknath Shinde’s Sena. Shiv Sena (UBT) has 20 MLAs and six MLCs in the state legislature. The meeting lasted an hour, and all legislators took a group photo with Uddhav in a symbolic show of strength.“It was a meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) legislature party. We discussed how to take up issues of farmers, you and Mumbai, other areas like Vidarbha and Marathwada and their water crisis. Sena (UBT) is the biggest opposite in the legislature. So we have to work aggressively and in a systematic manner. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) meeting has also been called on Wednesday. We are still claiming the LoP’s post,” Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve said.Danve said Operation Tiger was not discussed.“A meeting of all members of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council of the Shiv Sena (UBT) Legislative Party is organized on Monday, June 22 at 4 PM at “Shivalay”. The meeting will be guided by the party chief Uddhav Thackeray. It is requested that all members attend the meeting on time,” a party circular signed by legislators Sunil Prabhu, who is also the party’s chief whip and Anil Parab had stated. On Sunday, Uddhav visited shakhas in North East Mumbai in Bhandup and Kanjurmarg as he began a tour of the constituencies of all 6 rebel MPs. After Bhandup Uddhav will tour Yavatmal, Hingoli, Parbhani and Dharashiv. He will then visit Shirdi. Uddhav on Sunday asserted that the only Shiv Sena is the one led by him, responding sharply to Union home minister Amit Shah‘s “only one Shiv Sena” remark. Addressing a rally in Bhandup, in the constituency of rebel MP Sanjay Dina Patil Uddhav said, “The Shiv Sena headed by me is the only Shiv Sena.” “Some outsider came to Kolhapur, he made a new discovery that there is only one Shiv Sena. Yes there is only one Shiv Sena, it is mine, ours and Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena.” he added.
