Eknath Shinde visits Kamakhya temple, to return to Mumbai on Thursday

Guwahati: Dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday stepped out of Radisson Blu hotel here, where he and other rebel Maharashtra MLAs are camping since June 22, and visited Kamakhya temple to seek blessings.

Shinde told reporters outside the temple that he will return to Mumbai on Thursday to "complete the formalities". Implying he would participate in moves to form a new government.

He along with two more MLAs from the western state visited the temple atop Neelachal hill on the bank of Brahmaputra early morning.

Shinde and his colleagues were accompanied by Assam BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain, who has been with them since the dissidents landed at Guwahati airport.

"I visited the Kamakhya temple for happiness and prosperity of Maharashtra. I seek blessings of Maa Kamakhya," Shinde told reporters outside the temple.

When asked about his next step, the rebel leader said: "We will return to Mumbai tomorrow to complete the necessary formalities."

In what seems to be an apparent bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, dissident legislators of Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition, along with some Independents have been camping in Guwahati, around 2,700 km away from Mumbai, since June 22.