Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday held a gathering in Thane, the fief of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, as part of his attempt to rally Sena cadre after the revolt by Shinde and a large section of party MLAs. This was his first major outreach programme outside Mumbai. He held meetings at Bhiwandi and Shahpur in Thane, where Shinde has a substantial support base. Calling the Shinde faction of Sena “traitors”, Aaditya said in Bhiwandi, “They are traitors and stabbed us in our back. Now also if you have even a little shame left, resign as MLAs and face elections.”

In other news, the Andheri police late Wednesday arrested a college dropout, who is alleged to have hacked WhatsApp accounts and sent obscene messages and videos to over 600 women. The man’s intention was to chat with the women and lure them to meet him, said police. Accused, Ravi Dandu (30), a resident of Dharavi, was arrested on Wednesday. He works as a data entry operator in a private bank.