After exposing the division within Shiv Sena, the newly appointed Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is now making his impact felt at the grassroots.
At least 100 ex-corporators of the Mumbai metropolitan region have extended support to the Shinde faction of the party.
Besides, the rebels are more vocal about their ire at the coterie around Thackeray, and blame it for the current disorder within the party. According to the rebels, those who have had undue influence and are at the root of the party’s problems, include Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai, Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South Arvind Sawant, and Shiv Sena secretary Milind Narvekar.
Meanwhile, the Shinde faction also responded to the objections towards the use of Balasaheb Thackeray’s photo and portrait by the rebels. Shinde camp spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said: “Balasaheb belongs to the entire state, and nobody can change this fact.”
Dismissing Shiv Sena’s ‘chief’ spokesperson, Kesarkar said, “Raut is closer to (Sharad) Pawar saheb, I don’t know about Uddhav ji.”
He also criticised the Uddhav-led faction’s decision to replace Bhavana Gawali as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha. “With such an action, you are insulting women. She is a five-time MP, who has held the Shiv Sena flag high,” Kesarkar said.
As the Shinde camp solidified itself as the majority, Palghar MP Rajendra Gavit, too, wrote to Thackeray to support the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance’s Presidential nominee Draupadi Murmu. The previous Shiv Sena leader to write on this issue was Mumbai South Central MP Rahul Shewale.
On the other hand, five-time MP Anandrao Adsul, who had represented Amravati and Buldhana, quit as “leader” of Shiv Sena. Adsul was among those who were on the Enforcement Directorate’s radar.