The political battle ahead of the Mumbai civic elections has delivered a significant setback to the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction). Former Mumbai mayor Shubha Raul has resigned from the party, submitting her resignation letter directly to Uddhav Thackeray. In her letter, Raul stated that she had served the Shiv Sena with unwavering faith in the ideology of Hindutva icon Balasaheb Thackeray and in Thackeray’s leadership. However, citing personal reasons, she stepped down as president of the Shiv Arogya Sena and also relinquished her primary membership of the party. She expressed gratitude for the cooperation she received during her tenure before formally parting ways.
Soon after her resignation, Shubha Raul met BJP Mumbai election in-charge Ashish Shelar and senior leader Pravin Darekar. Photographs of the meeting have surfaced, fuelling speculation that she may formally join the Bharatiya Janata Party in Shelar’s presence. Raul was a prominent woman leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) from the Dahisar area and has previously held the post of Mumbai mayor. Recently, former corporator Tejaswini Ghosalkar, daughter-in-law of Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Vinod Ghosalkar, also joined the BJP, indicating growing political churn in Dahisar.
Political observers believe that Shubha Raul’s possible induction into the BJP could further weaken the Uddhav Thackeray-led party in the region. Notably, this is not the first time Raul has exited the Shiv Sena. Earlier, she had expressed dissatisfaction with Vinod Ghosalkar’s working style. Ahead of the 2014 Assembly elections, she resigned from the Shiv Sena and joined the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, contesting the polls unsuccessfully. Within months of the election, she returned to the Shiv Sena and was welcomed back by Uddhav Thackeray. However, amid the current civic election atmosphere, Raul has once again chosen to leave the party.