When Surat became epicentre of Maharashtra political tremor

SURAT: The Diamond City emerged as the epicentre of the political tremor that rocked Maharashtra politics with rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and at least 30 party MLAs and some independent legislators checking into a luxury hotel on Magdalla Cross Road early Tuesday morning, leaving the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghaadi (MVA) government battling for survival.
Amid the rapid political developments in Mumbai and Delhi, allegations flew thick and fast with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut accusing Gujarat police of using force against party MLAs and the BJP of trying to engineer the collapse of MVA government.

Tight police bandobast was installed since early hours on Tuesday and at least 150 cops, including women, were on duty in and around the hotel. No vehicles without clearance from inside the hotel, especially from Shinde, were allowed to go in.
While Raut claimed that around 14-15 MLAs were in Surat, there were reports that more had joined the rebel camp led by Shinde and reached the hotel.
High drama was witnessed when Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's close confidantes Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak reached the hotel, accompanied by Mumbai cops. Initially they were stopped by the police from entering, but were allowed to go later. Narvekar and Phatak left the hotel in the evening without speaking to the media and sources claimed that they did not get any success in striking a truce with Shinde.

Rebel Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh 'roughed up' in Surat hotel
Nitin Deshmukh, the Shiv Sena MLA from Balapur in Akola, was allegedly shifted to the New Civil Hospital (NCH) within a few hours of rebel legislators checking into the luxury hotel in the city on Tuesday.
Deshmukh was shifted to the hospital in 108 EMRI ambulance. The ambulance staff also mentioned 'indisciplined behaviour' while admitting Deshmukh. Deshmukh was discharged from the hospital late in the night
The exact health complications were not mentioned in the medical register initially. However, doctors who examined Deshmukh claimed that his blood pressure was high when brought to the hospital.
Meanwhile, sources at the luxury hotel where the Shiv Sena rebel MLAs are holed up, claimed a scene was created after Deshmukh reportedly pressed on leaving. "Deshmukh wanted to go back to Mumbai. He called me around 3am saying that he was standing at a crossroad and asked me to come and pick him up. He got my number from Shiv Sena leaders in Mumbai," Paresh Kher, a former Shiv Sena worker in Surat, told TOI.
Later, Kher received an update that Deshmukh is in the luxury hotel near Magdalla cross road.
"I went to the hotel with some of my friends to help Deshmukh but I was not allowed to go inside. Cops pushed me away," Kher claimed.
"I informed Shiv Sena leaders in Mumbai about the situation. Later, they told me that he is not being allowed to leave the hotel and was roughed up by some of his colleague MLAs who did not want him to return to Mumbai," Kher added.
Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told TOI: "Deshmukh and four other MLAs were thrashed at the hotel when they tried to leave. He has been forcefully kept there and his wife has lodged a missing complaint here with the police.
Police sources also informed that Deshmukh turned aggressive as he was not allowed to go out.
Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde, leader of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, went to meet Deshmukh at NCH.