As Shiv Sena battles rebellion, Aaditya Thackeray to address party functionaries

Mumbai: With the Shiv Sena and the party-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government getting caught in a political turmoil following a rebellion by its leader Eknath Shinde, Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray will address the party functionaries here on Friday afternoon.

Talking to reporters, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut said Thackeray, who heads the state environment and tourism ministries, will address the party office-bearers at the Shiv Sena Bhavan, its headquarters at Dadar in central Mumbai, in an attempt to ensure that there is no confusion in its rank and file.

"He will address the district chiefs and 'sampark pramukhs' (liaison heads) at the Sena Bhavan," he said, adding that the party firmly stands behind Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Aaditya, son of Uddhav Thackeray, is the president of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the party.

Shinde, a minister in the Thackeray cabinet and a heavyweight from Thane district, has rebelled against the party, pushing the MVA governmemt, in which NCP and Congress also share power, to the brink of collapse. Shinde has claimed the support of 37 MLAs and 10 independents, and all of them are currently in Guwahati in Assam.

Shinde has claimed that the faction led by him is the "real Shiv Sena".

However, Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut has made it clear that the fate of the MVA government will be decided on the floor of the House.