Huge blow likely to Shiv Sena in MMR local bodies

Mumbai: While 10-12 Shiv Sena MPs are likely to switch loyalties to Eknath Shinde camp soon, ripples from the vertical split in the Shiv Sena can now also be seen in local civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
A group of 64 councillors from Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) met Shinde at his Mumbai bungalow “Nandanvan” late on Wednesday night and declared their support to Shinde camp, delivering a body blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction in Thane, a traditional Sena bastion. Former Thane Mayor and Shiv Sena Thane District Chief Naresh Mhaske said 66 out of 67 councillors in TMC have decided to join the Shinde camp.

Elections are due at the TMC, which has been a stronghold of the Shiv Sena, as the term of its 131 members ended some time ago. Mhaske had earlier resigned as Sena district chief. The lone councillor who is yet to switch allegiance is Nandini Vichare, the wife of Thane Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare, who replaced Bhavana Gawali as Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Similarly, 30-32 of the 50 Shiv Sena 50 in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), including Leader of Opposition Vijay Chaughule, Suresh Kulkarni, Shivram Patil and Kishore Patkar, are likely to join the Shinde camp. Similarly, Sena leader Rajesh Kadam from Dombivli has also resigned with 16 other functionaries.

Meanwhile, Anandrao Adsul, a former Sena MP and Minister of State for Finance and Company Affairs in the NDA cabinet in 2002, has resigned as Shiv Sena leader. In his resignation letter, Adsul wrote to Uddhav Thackeray saying he was hurt when the party distanced itself from him while he was undergoing a health problem and being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. It is as yet unclear if Adsul plans to join his son Abhijit Adsul in the Shinde camp. In 2020, the Economic Offences Wing had begun a probe into alleged fraud in City Co-operative Bank and registered an FIR on charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy. Adsul became the chairman of the bank in 2006. In February 2021, The Enforcement Directorate also opened investigations and carried out searches.