Mumbai: Legislators of the Shiv Sena faction of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde targeted former minister Aaditya Thackeray by displaying a banner against him on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan here on Thursday. Aaditya Thackeray countered them by shouting a slogan implying that MLAs of the Shinde faction got money to switch loyalty, which had resulted in the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government comprising the Sena, NCP and Congress.


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Legislators from the Shinde faction carried banners with the message: "Yuvrajanchi disha chukli" (the prince missed his path) on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan where the state legislature session is currently underway. MLA Bharat Gogawale told reporters that if legislators of the Shinde group are targeted repeatedly, they would not sit with folded hands. "We will respond," he said.


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On the other side, Aaditya Thackeray and some legislators of the Congress and NCP shouted slogans demanding that a "wet drought" be declared in Maharashtra to provide relief to farmers who lost their standing crops in the recent heavy rains and floods. Aaditya Thackeray was also seen shouting the slogan "50 khoke...Chidle boke" (50 boxes...Angry cats), implying that 50 MLAs got money to revolt against the party led by his father Uddhav Thackeray.


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He was also apparently referring to the scuffle which took place between the ruling and opposition legislators in the Vidhan Bhavan premises on Wednesday. Aaditya Thackeray has been touring the state to garner support of the party cadre, following the rebellion by a group of MLAs. He had targeted legislators of the Shinde faction by calling them "traitors".