Maharashtra political crisis: Can quit MVA but rebels must return in 24 hrs, Shiv Sena tells Shinde camp

"We are ready to walk out of the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government in Maharashtra, but party rebels should return to Mumbai (from Guwahati) in 24 hours," said Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson, reported NDTV.

Raut said the MLAs should discuss the issues with Uddhav Thackeray instead of writing letters on Twitter and WhatsApp.

Till the last reports came in, Eknath Shinde, who is leading the rebellion, had the support of 41 MLAs.

It is clear that Uddhav Thackeray is scrambling to save face as more MLAs are on Shinde's side in the party, whose leadership he inherited from his father Balasaheb Thackeray.

Only 13 Shiv Sena MLAs attended a meeting called by Uddhav Thackrey on Thursday, according to media reports.

While Raut tried to assert the MLAs deserted Thackeray owing to some kind of pressure, the rebels highlighted the built up of dissatisfaction over the course of the last 2.5 years as the reason for their revolt.

They maintained that they were not leaving the party. Deepak Kesakar, who is among the three MLAs who joined the rebel camp this morning, asserted that Shiv Sena should form a new government in an alliance with the BJP, which is its natural ally.

In a letter tweeted by Shinde on Thursday, a legislator accused the Maharashtra Chief Minister of shutting his doors to them and keeping them waiting for hours.

One of the MLAs said the Shiv Sena MLAs and workers were denied entry into the Chief Minister's house for 2.5 years. 

Eknath Shinde said the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition has been beneficial only to Congress and NCP while the ordinary Shiv Sainiks have suffered the most in the last two-and-a-half years of the coalition's rule.