The November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections are set for a fierce showdown between the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as both sides vie for control of the Mantralaya. Amidst this political tension, an incident occurred during Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde's visit to Sakinaka, where a young man, Santosh Katke, disrupted Shinde's convoy by waving black flags and allegedly using offensive language. Katke also reportedly struck the CM's car, prompting Shinde to halt his convoy and step out. The incident, which took place outside MVA candidate Naseem Khan's office, was captured on video.
In response, an angry Shinde entered the MVA office, questioning party workers about the incident and whether they condoned such behavior. Santosh Katke was detained by security personnel and handed over to the police. However, Katke, along with MVA supporters, staged a sit-in outside the police station. In a surprising turn of events, both Katke and his father Sadhu Katke, previously associated with Ramdas Athawale's faction, joined Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena at Matoshree.
Thackeray praised Katke despite the controversy, which raised questions about the motivations behind the move.Defending his actions, Katke stated that seeing CM Shinde reignited his loyalty as a Shiv Sainik, leading him to protest. His ongoing criticism of Shinde in media interviews has sparked speculation about escalating tensions between the Shinde and Thackeray factions in the future.