Sunday, July 17 2005 12:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: In a bid to make ten MLAs rallying behind expelled leader Narayan Rane, fall in line with the party, Shiv Sena yesterday (July 16, 2005) issued whip to all its 62 party legislators to attend the proceedings of Maharashtra legislative Assembly from July 19 to 21.

The ten MLAs supporting Rane are in hiding since July 12 when Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar upheld election of Ramdas Kadam as leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party (SSLP).

"The party has issued whip to all the party legislators to attend the assembly proceedings from July 19 to 21," SSLP whip Gajanan Kirtikar told reporters.

He said strict action would be taken against those legislators remaining absent.

The whip is seen as an effort to bring the ten MLAs in line with the party so that the party can claim for the post of Leader of Opposition in the lower house.

The absence of ten MLAs would bring down the party strength in the house from 62 to 52 where as the alliance partner BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has 54 MLAs.

The party could retain the post of Leader of Opposition only if the ten MLAs in Rane camp come back to Sena.

However, sources in Rane camp said the ten MLAs are unlikely to follow the whip.