Amid rebellion in Sena, Maha Cong says all 44 MLAs in touch, reports of CLP leader quitting false

After Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde went incommunicado triggering a crisis in the ruling Shiv Sena, the Congress, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, on Tuesday said all its 44 MLAs were in touch with Legislature Party leader and state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat. The statement from the Congress came in the wake of reports of that some of its MLAs were "unreachable" after Monday's Maharashtra Legislative Council polls in which a candidate of the party, Chandrakant Handore, lost.

The party statement also refuted reports that Thorat had quit as CLP leader terming them "mischievous and false".

"Thorat is keeping a close watch on the unfolding political developments," the Congress statement said.