Former Mumbai mayor Shubha Raul, who recently resigned from the Shiv Sena UBT, has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, giving the BJP a significant boost ahead of the Mumbai civic elections. Raul joined the party in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, marking a major political development in the city. Her exit is being seen as a setback for the Uddhav Thackeray-led party during the crucial election period. Raul had sent her resignation letter to Uddhav Thackeray, ending her long association with the Shiv Sena and formally severing ties with the organisation she had served for years.
In her resignation letter, Shubha Raul stated that she had worked in the Shiv Sena with unwavering belief in the ideology of Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray and faith in Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership. However, due to unavoidable reasons, she stepped down from her post as president of the Shiv Arogya Sena and resigned from the party’s primary membership. She also expressed gratitude for the support and cooperation she received during her political journey. Shortly after her resignation, Raul met BJP Mumbai election in-charge Ashish Shelar and leader Pravin Darekar, fuelling speculation that ultimately culminated in her formal induction into the BJP.
Shubha Raul is a prominent leader from the Dahisar area and has earlier served as the mayor of Mumbai. Her entry into the BJP follows a recent trend of leaders from the Dahisar region switching sides, including former corporator Tejaswini Ghosalkar. Notably, this is not the first time Raul has changed parties. Ahead of the 2014 Assembly elections, she had quit the Shiv Sena to join the MNS and contested unsuccessfully, before returning to the Sena within months. However, amid the intense political atmosphere surrounding the BMC elections, her move to the BJP in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as politically significant.