"In a democracy, the majority is important. The majority is with us and so the victory is ours," Eknath Shinde, who is leading the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs told reporters in Guwahati on Wednesday, hours before boarding a chartered flight for Goa.
"In this country, there is law, there is a Constitution and there are rules. So no one can go beyond those rules," Shinde said soon after visiting the ancient Kamakhya temple, one of the Shakti Peethas, situated atop Nilachal Hills on Wednesday morning while claiming that all 49 MLAs are with him.
He said all 49 MLAs would visit Mumbai on Thursday. "We will be taking part in the floor test or any other formalities of the Assembly. "We all are aware of the formalities. We all will take part in it," he further said, adding that development would be their main agenda.
The MLAs, who visited the Kamakhya temple were accompanied by Assam cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika and BJP's Lok Sabha member from Assam's Mangaldoi constituency, Dilip Saikia. Senior Assam police officers were also seen with the MLAs.
The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs have been staying in Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati since June 21 during the crisis that erupted in the Maha Vikash Aghadi government in Maharashtra.
Later, just before boarding a bus for LGBI airport in Guwahati, Shinde again briefly talked to reporters saying that the legislature party would meet after Thursday's floor test and decide the next course of action. He, however, did not clarify whether the new government would be led by BJP. When asked that he had been termed as a rebel MLA, Shinde said, "I am not a rebel. I am a Shiv Sainik and believe in the Hindutva and development ideology of Balasaheb Thakre. We want to take Balasaheb's ideology forward," he said.
Sources said that Shinde and other MLAs would spend the night in Goa and would reach Mumbai on Thursday morning.