Nandkumar Ghodele, former mayor of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and his supporters will join the Shiv Sena under Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's leadership. Ghodele has been with the Shiv Sena for nearly 30 years. After the party split, he supported Uddhav Thackeray, but he is now aligning with Shinde.
Ghodele stated that he and his wife, Anita, are joining Shinde's faction after being inspired by the development work led by Shinde over the past two and a half years. He emphasized the need to maintain a Hindutva stance, criticizing the alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, which he believes negatively impacted election outcomes. He concluded that to effectively serve the public in the future, they must align with the ruling government.
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In response, former MP and Thackeray group leader Chandrakant Khaire criticized Ghodele and his wife for their lack of action during their tenure as mayor. He questioned their motives for joining the Shinde group and warned that they would lose the respect they once had from the community. Khaire reminded Ghodele of his humble beginnings and the support he received from the organization, asserting that he has made a significant mistake in his political journey.