The crucial meeting of newly elected legislatures of Shiv Sena has begun at Sena Bhawan in Mumbai. The meeting presided over by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and attended by almost all senior leaders of the party along with the MPs will decide on Shiv Sena's final stand on joining the BJP lead government in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena chief will also choose the leader of its legislature party in today’s meeting. AIR Mumbai correspondent quoting party sources reports that at this meeting Shiv Sena would take a final call on its stand on whether to join the Maharashtra government. It is being speculated that the party may also take a decision on whether to remain in the NDA or not.

Meanwhile, Senior Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire said the party is miffed with the decision of BJP to offer Minister of state rank to its offcial nominee and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai in spite of their demand for a cabinet rank for him. Khaire alleged that BJP's central leadership declined to hold talks with Shiv Sena over the latter's joining in Maharashtra government as a result Shiv Sena leadership decided to stay away from the swearing-in ceremony of the Union government’s first cabinet expansion held today.

AIR correspondent adds that Shiv Sena is also upset with BJP’s decision to induct Suresh Prabhu in the union cabinet. Prabhu, a senior Sena leader, today resigned from Shiv Sena and joined the BJP before taking oath as the union cabinet minister.