As the ruling coalition in Maharashtra battles for its existence in Mumbai, people’s eyes are now on a luxury hotel in Surat in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat, some 280 km from there, where disgruntled Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde and the party Some of the rebel MLAs are staying.
Security at the hotel has been tightened since morning on Tuesday and around 400 police personnel have been deployed. With this the hotel has turned into a cantonment. Guests already staying in the hotel are leaving one by one. At the same time, sources said that the hotel located on Dumas Road in the city has closed new bookings indefinitely.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Jalgaon in north Maharashtra Sanjay Kute reached the hotel in his car in the afternoon and was allowed inside to meet Shiv Sena leaders staying there. Between 300 and 400 policemen took a stand inside and outside the hotel premises after prominent Shiv Sena leader Shinde and other MLAs arrived here on Monday night. They put up barricades at both the entry and exit points to prevent any unauthorized person from entering inside the hotel.
Policemen have also been deployed inside the hotel on the floor where the MLAs are staying. Senior police officers have been visiting here since morning. He was seen giving necessary instructions to the deployed policemen. No outsider or visitor is allowed to enter the hotel premises and the staff is allowed inside only after checking their Identity Card (ID) and permission from the concerned authorities. Cameramen and a large group of journalists are camping outside the hotel.