In a significant political development, three senior leaders from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) have decided to switch allegiance to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. This move comes despite their past criticism of Shinde’s faction, where they had accused some members of betraying the party by orchestrating the split.
Reports suggest that these leaders had been contemplating the shift after the assembly elections, with initial speculation that their entry would be facilitated by former minister Prof. Tanaji Sawant. However, it was later confirmed that Mahesh Sathe from Pandharpur played a key role in their induction.
Following the assembly elections, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena finds itself in further disarray. Former Minister of State Uttam Prakash Khandare, district chief Amar Patil, and former MLA Shivsharan Patil are set to officially join Shinde’s faction in Mumbai on Thursday. Amar Patil, who was appointed as Uddhav Sena’s district chief and had contested from Solapur South, resigned from his position on Wednesday evening. Soon after, Uddhav Sena’s central office announced the expulsion of both Amar Patil and Uttam Prakash Khandare from the party.
Meanwhile, Shinde Sena’s Solapur Lok Sabha liaison chief, Mahesh Sathe, confirmed that Uttam Prakash Khandare, Shivsharan Patil, and Amar Patil would be joining the Eknath Shinde camp in Mumbai on Thursday evening. Uttam Prakash Khandare holds the distinction of being the first Shiv Sena MLA from the district and has previously served as a state minister. Shivsharan Patil, on the other hand, had represented the city central constituency as an MLA.