Shiv Sena likely to skip opposition meet to decide Prez candidate

Battling a crisis in the Maharashtra government, the Shiv Sena leaders are likely to skip the opposition parties meeting on Tuesday to finalize their joint candidate for the Presidential election.

Senior party leader Sanjay Raut was scheduled to attend the meeting convened by Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, but ''he has cancelled his visit to Delhi,'' a party functionary said.

The Maharashtra government is facing a crisis after senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde went incommunicado with 10 party MLAs in tow.

Shinde is learnt to be in Gujarat's Surat, apparently upset with being sidelined by the party.