Maharashtra: Four Uddhav faction MLAs in touch to switch sides, claims Narayan Rane

Union Minister Narayan Rane on Saturday claimed four MLAs of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena were in touch with him to join the ruling group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde but refused to divulge names.

He was in the city as part of the Union government's 'Rozgar Mela', under which Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over appointment letters to government job aspirants electronically in Delhi.

"From 56 MLAs, there hardly six to seven left (in the Uddhav Thackeray faction). Those too are on the way out. Four MLAs are in touch with me but I won't divulge their names," Rane said.

Mocking Thackeray, the Union minister said the former's politics is confined to Matoshree (the private residence of the Thackerays in Bandra in Mumbai and a power centre of the party along with Sena Bhavan), adding "there is no faction of the Sena left".

Speaking about the 'Rozgar Mela', Rane hailed PM Modi for asking various government departments and ministries in June to recruit 10 lakh people on a "mission mode" in the next year and a half.

Rane said he will not speak on those spotting politics in this mega-recruitment drive as it is "the festive season of Diwali".