Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: There is currently no sign that the dispute between Shinde Sena district chief Rajendra Janjal and guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat will be resolved soon. There are reports that Shirsat has ‘pushed’ for former mayor Tryambak Tupe, who recently joined Shinde Sena, to be appointed as district chief. Janjal claims that the proposed new executive committee has already been sent to Mumbai, which could further inflame the conflict.
With the municipal elections in mind, several leaders from Uddhav Sena joined Shinde Sena over the past year. Many of these leaders had not made a significant impact during the previous Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections. Janjal had opposed bringing such leaders into the Shinde Sena. However, ignoring Janjal’s opposition, Shirsat facilitated the entry of several leaders in the presence of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, which is said to have sparked the conflict between Shirsat and Janjal. The intra-party dispute has now become more visible.
Earlier, senior leader Dr Shrikant Shinde had said that the conflict between Janjal and Shirsat would be resolved after the municipal council elections. Although the elections are over, the dispute between the two leaders continues. There are reports that Shirsat is still trying to appoint former mayor Tupe as district chief, which could further escalate tensions. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Janjal might join the BJP. However, he told the reporters that he will continue to remain aligned with deputy CM Shinde.