Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
On the third day of the New Year, former Mayor Nandkumar Ghodele joined the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, causing a stir within the Uddhav faction. Upon learning that seven other former corporators and key office bearers were also leaning towards the Shinde Sena and BJP, Shiv Sena leader and former MP Chandrakant Khaire held a meeting with the party's former corporators and office bearers on Friday. Accordingly, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, MLC Ambadas Danve, also met with party office-bearers and former corporators on Saturday. In the recent Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, Uddhav Sena was unable to secure a single constituency in the district.
Since then, there has been a sense of restlessness among the party's office bearers and workers. Ghodele, who is considered a trusted ally of Khaire, along with his wife, former Mayor Anita Ghodele, joined the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena on January 3, 2025, with the slogan "Jai Maharashtra," marking their exit from the Uddhav faction. Discussions have been ongoing for the past few days about the possible entry of other party office-bearers and former corporators into the Shinde faction. It is being speculated that this joining ceremony will take place in Mumbai on January 6, 2025.
Amidst this, there has been a stir within the Uddhav faction of Shiv Sena. The leaders of the party are now faced with the significant challenge of stopping the ongoing exodus. In light of the upcoming municipal corporation elections, Khaire held a meeting with former corporators of the city on Friday to retain the party's former corporators and office bearers. During this meeting, he strongly criticised Ghodele, who has left the party. The attendees at the meeting assured that they would not leave the party. Former Mayor Tryambak Tupe was also present at the meeting.
Raju Vaidya, Sudam Sonawane, Girjaram Halnor, Sitaram Sure, Kamalakar Jagtap, Mohan Meghawale, Lakshman Bakhariya, Meena Gayke, Subhash Shejawal, Makrand Kulkarni, Veerbhadra Gadge, Sachin Khaire, Kishor Nagare, Manoj Gangve, Kanulal Chakranarayan, Rishi Khaire, Rajesh Pahadiya, Mahendra Jahagirdar, Rajtilak Meghawale, Mangesh Kulkarni, Dnyaneshwar Dange and others attended the meeting.
MLC Danve also held a meeting
On Saturday, Ambadas Danve met with former corporators Kishor Nagare, Makrand Kulkarni, Veerbhadra Gadge, as well as Kamalakar Jagtap and other office bearers from the Mukundwadi area at Cidco-Hudco.