Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Kalyan chief Dipesh Mhatre, who contested the 2024 Assembly election against state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday. The induction will take place in Dombivli in the presence of Chavan, forest minister Ganesh Naik, and Amruta Fadnavis, wife of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Mhatre’s move is being seen as a big blow not only to Uddhav Thackeray but also to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which is currently in alliance with the BJP.
Confirming the development to The Times of India, Mhatre said joining a national party would be more beneficial for the city’s growth and development.“My goal is the development of Kalyan-Dombivli, and being of a national party will help achieve that vision more effectively,’’ he said. A three-time corporator, Mhatre hails from a prominent political family in Kalyan-Dombivli.Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut said, “It is true that Dipesh Mhatre is joining the BJP. Such individuals are temporary; they come and go.”Local BJP leader Nana Suryavanshi, who is overseeing party preparations for the upcoming KDMC elections, said, “Many leaders will be joining the BJP on Sunday. Names will be announced at the event.”