A Shiv Sena leader said the party was now deliberating moves against 15 pro-Congress Independent legislators for violating the provisions of the anti-defection law and the Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on the ground of defection) Rules.

The row over Independents' alleged Congress affiliation had snowballed when Assembly Speaker Dattaji Nalawade issued summons to seven MLAs following Sena leader and former mayor Chandrakant Padwal's series of petitions demanding their disqualifications.

The matter of the aborted CM's meeting is riddled with contradictory claims. On the onehand, Minister of State for Agriculture and leader of the pro-government Independent legislators Harshavardhan Patil maintained that the Legislators simply could not turn out for it, and on the other a few of the legislators themselves verified that it was a clear protest against Sena crackdown on Independent MLAs.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Patil said, ``We did not boycott the meeting. It was postponed as a section of the Independent legislators could not reach Mumbai owing to late running of trains, while a large number of them were busy preparing for the ensuing Zilla Parishad elections,'' Patil said.

Patil said as per the plan, seven Ministers of state - Anil Deshmukh, Babasaheb Dhebekar, Tukaram Dighole, Shivajirao Naik, Vijaykumar Gavit, Dilip Sopal and himself along with 14 independent legislators had sought a meeting with the Chief Minister to resolve the pending issues of their respective constituencies. ``Joshi had given us appointment today. However, as most of the legislators couldnot reach, the meeting was postponed. It will be wrong to say, we boycotted the meeting,'' Patil said.

But, at least three pro-government Independents confirmed that they did boycott the meeting in protest over the proceedings initiated by Sena Legislator Chandrakant Padwal against the seven alleged Congress-bound Independent legislators.

Meanwhile, MPCC general secretary Kulkarni submitted an affidavit in the office of Legislature Secretary Ramesh Kambli after his application denying the veracity of the so-called membership letters was not accepted by the Speaker saying it was not the right time to consider such a document.