More trouble for Uddhav? 12 out of 18 MPs may join Shinde camp after one asks ex-CM to back Droupadi Murmu: Report

Just days after collapse of the MVA government following the rebellion by Eknath Shinde, fresh trouble seems to be in offing for Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. 

After 40 out of 55 MLAs moving out of Sena, 12 of the party’s 18 MPs may join the Shinde Camp after one of them requested Uddhav to declare support for NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, reported The Indian Express. 

“We (rebel camp) have 40 out of 55 MLAs with us, and 12 out of 18 MPs… I have met four MPs personally. We also have 22 former MLAs with us,” said Gulabrao Patil, a minister in the erstwhile MVA government. 

The report comes after Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale on Tuesday urged him to support Murmu, considering the fact that he is a tribal leader and giving example of how Bad Thackeray had supported UPA candidate Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee despite political and ideological differences. 

Meanwhile, Uddhav-led Sena on Wednesday replaced Bhavana Gawali as its chief whip in the Lok Sabha, with Rajan Vichare. Gawali, the MP from Yavatmal-Washim, was one of the Sena MPs to suggest that the Sena ally with the BJP again, amid the rebellion led by Shinde. 

The 18 MPs, who have stood by Uddhav so far, are also believed to be anxious knowing that without the support of elected party members in their respective constituencies, it would be difficult for them to win the next elections. 

Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, recently hinted at the “rebellions” still to come in the Sena. “There are countless unhappy members representing Parliament, zilla parishads, corporations, gram panchayats, who will take drastic decisions soon,” he said.

The Shinde Camp is confident of the split to run horizontally across all the bodies of the party till it reaches the grassroots.