Maharashtra: Two more Shiv Sena MLAs resigned from the party and are all set to join Narayan Rane in the Congress.
Rane, who quit the Sena and joined the Congress in July, is now Revenue Minister in the Congress-led Democratic Front government in Maharashtra.
Kalidas Kolambkar and Shyam Sawant quit the party and gave up their Assembly seats on Friday afternoon.
The duo was part of the 10 Sena MLAs who were backing Rane ever since he raised a banner of revolt against Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray in April 2005.
Sawant used to represent the Srivardhan constituency in Konkan region and Kolambkar represented Naigaon in Mumbai
With this defection, the Shiv Sena strength has come down to 56 in the Maharashtra assembly.
The BJP with 55 members tails the Shiv Sena closely. It may now contend for opposition leadership.
Raj Thackeray's new party is expected to further weaken the Shiv Sena. Despite the support that Rane receives from within the party, the Sena's hands are tied down by the anti-defection law.
Earlier, three Sena MLAs and Rane supporters - Shankar Kambli, Ganpat Kadam and Subash Bane - had quit the party in 2005 and are contesting the January 21, 2006 by-election as the Congress candidates.
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