Maha crisis:Eknath Shinde, 40 MLAs lands In Assam

The Maharashtra political crisis has now shifted to Assam. Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde - at the centre of fresh political crisis in the state - reached Guwahati from Surat on Wednesday morning. Speaking to reporters at the Guwahati airport, Eknath Shinde claimed he has support of around 40 MLAs and they will carry forward Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva. Around  7 independent legislators, who were staying in Surat, have also arrived in Guwahati along with Shinde.

Meanwhile, Shinde was removed from a top Sena post as the group leader of the state legislature. Ajay Chaudhari, a lawmaker from Mumbai, has been given the role. Sena’s Sanjay Raut, after saying the situation was under control on Tuesday, claimed that his party colleagues were being forcibly kept in Gujarat. "MLA Nitin Deshmukh is in BJP control in Surat. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray met leaders of the Sena and coalition partners. In the state assembly on Tuesday,  the Sena - along with its coalition partners - has 166 MLAs. While the BJP has 106 lawmakers. Nearly 30 lawmakers are believed to be with Shinde currently. 

The move to shift Eknath Shinde and his MLAs to Guwahati came shortly after his telephonic conversation with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who later assured party leaders that the rebels will come back to the fold.