Mumbai: The six Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporators, who defected to the Shiv Sena, were conspicuous by their absence at the Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC) general body meeting on Thursday. The party had issued a whip, directing them not to vote in any general body meeting or special meeting till they receive further instructions from party chief Raj Thackeray.

The party warned them that if they violated the whip, strong action would have been taken under the Maharashtra local bodies members disqualification rules 1987. But the six decided to skip the house meeting altogether. The move by the corporators is being seen as a ploy to escape the MNS whip, as their entry in the Shiv Sena has not yet been validated by the Konkan divisional commissioner.

Dismissing the whip, Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar from the Sena said, “Only the party group leader has the authority to issue a whip. Since there is no group of MNS in the BMC, the issue of whip does not arise at all. All six corporators are now Sena members and no one can stop them from coming to BMC.”

The MNS corporators have also reacted strongly to allegations that they took bribes to switch sides to Sena. MNS corporator Parmeshwar Kadam from Ghatkopar said, “I have written a letter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau asking to probe the allegations leveled by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. Action can be taken against us if we are proven guilty.”