Eknath Shinde’s rebellion on Wednesday seemed to be going closer to the magic figure for forming a separate group in the Assembly. The Sena leader claimed he enjoyed the support of 46 MLAs, the party’s official ones and independents, and submitted a letter signed by 34 to the Assembly staking claim to the group leader and whip’s positions. Even if it seemed Shinde held all the aces, sources said, the rebel leader might not be able to run his own entity with a few turncoats. CM Uddhav Thackeray’s faction submitted a letter signed by 22 MLAs to appoint its own leader.

It was evident that Shinde, holed up in Guwahati with his supporters, was prepared to do what it takes to topple Thackeray, who made an emotional appeal to the rebels to tell him directly that they didn’t want in the CM’s office. But Shinde didn’t relent. In response to the CM, he tweeted that the Shiv Sena and party workers have suffered in the MVA government whereas most benefits went the NCP and Congress way. “It is a must to quit the unnatural alliance for the benefit of the state. The Sena was systematically cut to size in the past two and a half years,” he said.