Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
In the last assembly elections, guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat defeated Raju Shinde, who had contested from the West constituency on a Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) ticket, by a huge margin. Ten months later, on Tuesday (November 18), Raju Shinde returned to the BJP. Responding to Shinde’s re-entry, minister Shirsat took sharp verbal jabs and reminded him of his ‘original strength.’ Extending sarcastic good wishes, Shirsat suggested that Shinde should now contest the upcoming municipal corporation elections either from the West constituency or from anywhere else he chooses.
During his induction, Shinde had challenged that he would finish off the influence of both the Thackeray Sena and the Shinde Sena in the constituency. Reacting to this, Shirsat said, “Shinde has gone back from Uddhav Sena to the BJP. So I don’t feel the need to comment on him. It is an internal matter of the BJP. For party expansion, they have got a strong leader. We wish them well. Shinde should contest the municipal elections from the West, or from anywhere, and fight again. Our best wishes to him.”
Restrictions on cross-entry between BJP and Shinde Sena
It was decided in the Mahayuti meeting on Tuesday that the Shinde Sena will not induct BJP office bearers or workers, and the BJP too will not induct Shinde Sena office bearers or workers. Hence, Shirsat said it is unlikely that any further internal cross-entries will take place. There were talks about Shilparani Wadkar, district chief of the Shinde Sena women’s wing, joining the BJP. On this, the minister said he doesn’t think Wadkar will be given entry into the BJP either.
BJP kept Shinde waiting for 10 months
The BJP kept Raju Shinde on ‘waiting’ status for ten months. His entry was cleared only after internal opposition within the party subsided. Shinde contested the West Assembly seat in both 2019 and 2024, and he knows the constituency thoroughly. Therefore, the BJP may use his connections in the Shinde Sena’s network-dominated wards. Moreover, Shinde publicly vowed during his induction that he would uproot both the Uddhav Sena and the Shinde Sena from the constituency. To fulfil this commitment, the BJP should assign him responsibilities in the municipal elections.
Meanwhile, MLA Anuradha Chavan has begun organisational groundwork in the Phulambri constituency, and OBC Welfare minister Atul Save has been building the party structure in the East constituency for the civic polls. The BJP’s real test, however, will be in the jurisdiction of the Assembly’s Central and West constituencies.