Post ultimatum, rebels face MVA, Mahayuti heat

RULING MAHAYUTI ALLIANCE IS GRAPPLING WITH 18 WHILE THE OPPOSITION ALLIANCE OF MVA HAS 22 REBELS IN THE FRAY

- HT Correspondent

MUMBAI: Twenty-four hours after the scale of rebellion in their ranks became apparent, the two alliances in Maharashtra began stamping it out. On Tuesday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) expelled five of the rebels from the party, while two of the BJP rebels quit at the first whiff of disciplinary action. "The process of taking action against the rebels has begun," added Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance is grappling with 18 rebels in the fray--BJP tops the list with nine rebels, six from Shiv Sena and three from NCP (AP). The opposition alliance of Maha Vikas Aghadi has a marginally higher number of rebels at 22. Of which 11 are from Shiv Sena (UBT), seven from the Congress and four from NCP-SP.

The BJP, which had warned the rebels with expulsion, has asked some of them to resign. On Tuesday, the party's former MP and national spokesperson Heena Gavit and Pune leader Kiran Dagade quit.