Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's loyalist and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday challenged the party's rebel camp led by Eknath Shinde to a floor test in the assembly, while also telling them that their chance to return to the party is still not lost. On the rebels' demand that Shiv Sena should break up with the NCP and Congress to ally with the BJP and form a new government, he said, "You (the rebels) should merge with the BJP. Shiv Sena remains our party." Speaking to NDTV, Mr Raut responded to the Shinde camp's allegations that the chief minister's house 'Varsha' remained out of bounds for party legislators, "These are just excuses. For a year there were Covid restrictions; and then Chief Minister Thackeray was unwell for six months."
