Big blow to Uddhav?

Mumbai: In another jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, 12 party MPs are in touch with Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and are likely to switch sides to his camp. Sources said all the 12 MPs are expected to fly to Delhi late on Monday and will hold a press conference about their probable switch on Tuesday.

Shinde himself will leave for Delhi, where he would meet senior BJP leaders. It will be Shinde's second visit to Delhi since assuming the office as Maharashtra CM on June 30. Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadanvis had visited New Delhi on July 8 and 9 and had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda.

The Shiv Sena has 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha. As per sources, the 12 MPs in touch with Shinde are — Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Sadashiv Lokhande, Hemant Godse, Hemant Patil, Rajendra Gavit, Sanjay Mandlik, Shrikant Shinde, Shrirang Barne, Rahul Shewale, Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, Krupal Tumane, Bhavna Gawli.