Monday, July 11 2005 13:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: : Expelled Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane today (July 11, 2005) filed a writ petition with Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Secretariat, seeking disqualification of 23 Sena MLAs for `not attending' the meeting of MLAs convened by him as the Leader of Opposition, on July 8.

"Although, a three line whip was issued to all Sena MLAs asking them to be present at the meeting, some MLAs chose to stay away from the meeting and only ten attended," Rane told reporters at Vidhan Bhavan here.

He said, Besides nine attending the meeting, "two MLAs had faxed me a letter stating the reasons of absence and extended their support to me."

The names of Kashinath Mengal and Sanjay Pawar were figured earlier in the list of 25 to be disqualified for not attending the meeting, have been dropped, Rane said.

Among the 23 MLAs whose disqualifications have been sought include Ramdas Kadam, Subhash Desai and Datta Nalawade.