As many as 22 MLAs of ruling BJP, including two ministers, have earned displeasure of the party for allegedly defying its whip by not attending a scheduled interaction with the RSS leadership here.
The BJP's chief whip in the Legislative Assembly, Raj Purohit had asked all BJP legislators to attend the 'interaction' with RSS general secretary, Bhaiyaji Joshi at Sangh headquarters at Reshimbagh yesterday.
The two minister who failed to attend the huddle, held at 8 AM, a couple of hours before the winter session began its proceedings, were Minister of State for Transport Vijay Deshmukh and Minister of State for Tribal Welfare Raje Ambrish Atram.
In a written communication to the MLAs, Purohit has said the matter was taken seriously by the BJP Legislature Party, and is being treated as a deviation from the party's discipline line.
Among those who attended the meeting were Speaker Haribhau Bagde, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet colleagues including Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse, Education Minister Vinod Tawade, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole among others.
Joshi is believed to have delivered a lecture on 'good governance' at the interaction.
