MUMBAI: The Maharashtra legislature secretariat on Saturday issued `summons' to 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs including senior minister Eknath Shinde, seeking written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification.
Signed by Rajendra Bhagwat, principal secretary of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, the summons were sent to all 16 MLAs named by the Shiv Sena's chief whip, Sunil Prabhu, in a letter. Prabhu had earlier asked the rebel MLAs of the Shinde faction, who are camping in Guwahati, to attend a party meeting here on Wednesday but none of them turned up.
Subsequently, the Sena submitted two letters to the legislature secretariat, seeking disqualification of 16 MLAs including Shinde.
The summons issued by Bhagwat on Saturday said that Prabhu had submitted a letter to deputy speaker of the Assembly Narhari Zirwal seeking their disqualification under The Members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on ground of Defection) Rules, 1986.
"In your defence of the summons, you need to submit your written response before 5:30 pm on June 27 (Monday) supported by all the necessary documents. If the written response to the summons is not submitted in given period, it would be considered as you have no say over it. The office will initiate necessary action based on the complaint filed by Prabhu against you," the letter said.
The Shinde group, which claims to have the support of more than two-thirds of Sena MLAs, has announced that Prabhu has been replaced as party whip by Bharat Gogawale.