Eknath Shinde in Guwahati claims support of 33 Shiv Sena MLAs

Guwahati: Assam is reeling under a severe flood and Guwahati is over 2,000 km by air from Mumbai, but that has not stopped it from becoming the epicentre of BJP's operations to bring down the Maha Vikas Agadi government in Maharashtra. Thirty-three 'rebel' Shiv Sena MLAs have been put up in a five-star hotel in Guwahati, after they were flown in from Gujarat's Surat late Tuesday night.

The Sena MLAs were given police protection and taken to the hotel in three buses on their arrival at the Guwahati airport. Three of the 'rebels' arrived later with Maharastra BJP president Chandrakant Patil. The hotel resembled a fortress. BJP Lok Sabha MP Pallab Lochan Das and MLA Sushanta Borgohain were among those 'guarding' the 'rebel' MLAs.

Dissident Sena leader Eknath Shinde claimed that a total of 40 MLAs were with him, including 33 from Sena, in Guwahati and they were 'committed to Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva ideology.' Talking to media persons he said: "We are committed to Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology of Hindutva and we want to take it forward."


Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma added, "we will be happy if more people come. We are getting GST; 40 people coming is good for the state is reeling under flood and we hardly have tourists during this time. We welcome the arrival of the goddess of wealth." Guwahati has good hotels and, "if it becomes the epicentre of politics even of a foreign country, we will welcome it."

Sarma's comments did not go down well with the Opposition. The All India Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev alleged, "the government has got its priority completely wrong. While Silchar is reeling under floods, with no electricity or drinking water, the chief minister is busy poaching MLAs and lodging them in five-star hotels."

AJP leader Jagadish Bhuyan said, "it is petty politics of the BJP-led government at this hour. Lakhs of people have been affected by floods and people are not receiving relief." Leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia of the Congress said, "BJP shames humanity, yet again! While people of Assam are fighting the calamity, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is busy with 'Operation Lotus'."