With Maharashtra Assembly elections just ten days away, political parties are intensifying their campaigns. At the same time, strict action is being taken by parties against members involved in rebellion and anti-party activities. The Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) recently expelled former Hingoli MP Subhash Wankhede from the party.
A letter issued by the party stated that the expulsion was due to Wankhede’s engagement in anti-party activities. The Sena (UBT) confirmed that the decision was made on the orders of Uddhav Thackeray. Subhasrao Wankhede, a three-time MLA from Shiv Sena, joined Congress in 2014 and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Hingoli on a Congress ticket, though he was defeated. After the Shiv Sena split, Wankhede joined the Thackeray faction.
Wankhede had shown interest in contesting the assembly election from the Hadgaon constituency and had requested a ticket from the party. However, he was not nominated. Upset by this, Wankhede made serious allegations against Baban Thorat, the Thackeray group’s communication chief, accusing him of selling candidatures and alleging corruption within the Shiv Sena. This led to Wankhede's expulsion from the party.