How Shiv Sainiks kept vigil over MLAs housed in hotels

They kept tabs on people and vehicles leaving the five-star hotel where NCP MLAs were staying, while members of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena kept watch inside the hotel

How Shiv Sainiks kept vigil over MLAs housed in hotels

NCP MLAs leave the five-star in Vakola for the Trident, BKC. Pic/Shadab Khan

After the Supreme Court asked the Devendra Fadnavis-led government to prove its majority in a floor test in the legislative assembly on Wednesday, Shiv sainiks increased vigil at hotels in Mumbai, where the MLAs were housed.

Sainiks arrived in large numbers at a five-star hotel in Santacruz, where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs were staying. They were seen standing in groups of four to five and keeping a close tab on the vehicles entering and leaving the hotel.

A Shiv sainik on watch outside the hotel, said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was desperate to form the government and we knew that they could stoop to any level. So for the past three days we had instructions from our party, to keep a tab on the activities that take place in the hotel. We had our people not just inside the hotel, but in important locations surrounding it, to safeguard the MLAs."

A majority of the party workers present there were from the constituency of local Shiv Sena MLA, Sanjay Potnis, who was also being briefed about the situation at regular intervals, they said.

What worked in favour of the Sena when keeping a close watch on the MLAs and people coming to and leaving the hotel, was the fact that it has the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, the workers' union of the Sena.

"Some people working in the hotel are affiliated to our union and they were the most trusted sources for us. They were our eyes and ears," added a Sena worker.

As soon they learnt about deputy CM Ajit Pawar's and CM Devendra Fadnavis's resignations, party workers and some MLAs of the NCP were seen congratulating each other. At around 5.30 pm, NCP MLAs who were staying at the hotel, left for the Trident BKC.

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