Guess who is waiting impatiently for Ravindra Gaikwad to return home

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who hit the headlines early this week allegedly for thrashing an Air India official, is being awaited eagerly among others in his constituency are his two canines at home.

The dogs, a golden retriever and a St Bernard, are owned by Gaikwad and the latter is his favourite, said one of MP's family member. The 57-year-old MP had on Thursday allegedly abused and assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of Air India with slippers for not being able to fly business class despite having boarded an all-economy Pune-New Delhi flight.

Both the dogs are fed mostly vegetarian food. The St Bernard was purchased from Kolkata for Rs 30,000, he added. Gaikwad, who got down at Vapi yesterday, was scheduled to reach Omerga this morning, via Pune but changed his plans at the last moment, he said. There's no word yet on when he will meet Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, an associate of the MP said.

The Lok Sabha member who represents Osmanabad had told PTI that he was asked by a senior Sena leader not to speak to with media over the issue till Wednesday March 29. Meanwhile, the MP's supporters have called for a bandh at Osmanabad tomorrow against 'humiliation' of their leader over the AI staffer assault incident.