Shiv Sena open to Uddhav camp MPs if they back Eknath Shinde, says Pratap Sarnaik

Mumbai, Jun 16 (PTI) Amid indications of nervousness in the Shiv Sena (UBT) camp about possible attempts to poach its MPs, rival Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday said his party's doors were open to anyone who believed in the leadership of Eknath Shinde.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Deshmukh on Monday met Union minister Prataprao Jadhav, who belongs to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. A day before, only four of the Sena (UBT)'s nine Lok Sabha MPs physically attended a meeting called by party supremo Uddhav Thackeray.

Sarnaik, a minister in Maharashtra, said anyone who believed in the ideals of Sena founder Bal Thackeray and leadership of deputy Chief Minister Shinde was welcome.

"If public representatives like MPs and MLAs do not trust their leadership, and if they are willing to trust the leadership of Eknath Shinde, then the doors of the Shiv Sena are open to them," he said.

"We will give them priority if they thought of it (anytime) in the future," he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have asserted that all the Lok Sabha MPs of the party are with Uddhav Thackeray.

"All Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are together and will remain together," party leader Sanjay Raut told reporters in Delhi earlier in the day.

While MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waze and Sanjay Patil attended the meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday in person, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar and Sanjay Deshmukh attended online. Sanjay Jadhav spoke to Thackeray over the phone, Raut had said.

Deshmukh, MP from Yavatmal-Washim, said he skipped the meeting for family reasons. But on Monday, he met Union minister Prataprao Jadhav of the Shinde-led Sena in Delhi, fuelling speculation about a possible switch. PTI