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

Mumbai: 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.

The opposition BJP on Monday won all five seats it contested in the MaharashtraLegislative Council elections for 10 seats, while Congress candidate and Dalit leader Chandrakant Handore lost, in another setback for the MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, after the Rajya Sabha polls earlier this month.

Two candidates each of the Shiv Sena and NCP won, while the Congress managed to bag just one seat.

Ten Council seats were up for grabs and 11 candidates were in the fray for the elections, which came days after the Rajya Sabha polls, which saw the BJP handing an embarrassing defeat to the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition by winning an additional seat despite lacking in numbers.