Congress will continue to support Maha's ruling alliance: Minister Chavan

Amid rebellion by Shiv Sena strongman Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra PWD minister Ashok Chavan of the Congress on Thursday said his party's support to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will continue and asserted that the state Assembly, and not hotels, was the appropriate place to decide if a government was in a majority or minority.

The revolt by Shinde, a Cabinet minister who has claimed the support of 37 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, has pushed the two-and-a-half-year old Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government into a grave crisis.

''We (the Congress) formed the MVA with the Shiv Sena and the NCP to stop the BJP (from coming to power). Our support to the MVA continues,'' Chavan said.

He was talking to told reporters after a meeting of Congress leaders called to discuss the prevailing political situation in the state.

The state minister said whether the Shiv Sena-led MVA government has been reduced to a minority or not cannot be decided from hotels as the floor of the House was the right forum to determine support enjoyed by a government.

Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs are camping in a hotel in Guwahati in the BJP-ruled Assam.

Asked whether the MVA was ready for a floor test, Chavan said a decision in this regard will have to be taken by the three allies who constitute the ruling alliance.

He said the issue hasn't been discussed so far inside the coalition.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut indicated his party was open to consider leaving the MVA if rebel MLAs come back to Mumbai and holds talks with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. PTI MR RSY RSY