Shiv Sena loyalist among rebels walks miles to reach Uddhav Thackeray's residence

Shiv Sena MLA Kailas Patil, an MLA from Osmanabad in Marathwada region, literally escaped from the rebellion led by party veteran Eknath Shinde.

While the group was heading to Surat by road, the 40-year-old Patil got down from the vehicle in the darkness of night at the Maharashtra-Gujarat border check-post to return to Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister’s home in Bandra.

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He walked in the rain for a few kilometres, hitched a ride on a bike and managed to contact Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray.

After he reached the Bandra house of the Thackerays, he was taken to a secure location.

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“After the voting was over, some of them were lured with a dinner party and to Thane… Kailas Patil walked in the rain. In the darkness of night and returned,” Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said.

When the convoy moved from Thane city to Ghodbunder and started heading towards the Palghar district, Patil suspected something was amiss and decided to return.