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Shiv Sena parades 52 MLAs before Speaker

Special Correspondent

Expulsion illegal, says Rane; to challenge it in court

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Thursday presented 52 of its 62 legislators before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar to substantiate its claim that a majority of them were with the party and not with the expelled leader, Narayan Rane. Mr. Rane needs at least 20 MLAs to engineer a split. The Sena top brass are confident that he will not get the support of more than two other MLAs.

Senior leader and MLA Subhash Desai told reporters that Mr. Kupekar had talked to each MLA and made him or her sign an affidavit confirming allegiance to the party. Four more MLAs were expected to appear before the Speaker.

Mr. Kupekar said he had met the Sena MLAs and would take a decision as soon as possible.

Rane convenes meeting

Mr. Rane maintained that Wednesday's meeting, which elected Ramdas Kadam new party leader, was illegal as it was convened by the whip, who had been removed. As the legislature party leader, he convened a meeting of the MLAs for Friday and all these 52 members would be disqualified if they failed to attend. He said the affidavits were not their last word. The members could file fresh affidavits.

Mr. Rane alleged that the Sena had kept the MLAs at a hotel near the airport. "This shows that the party is not confident of the legislators' support." He would challenge his expulsion in court. Mr. Rane met the Speaker and told him that his expulsion from the party and removal from the leadership of the legislature wing were illegal as the procedures laid down in the party constitution had not been followed.

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