Former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Rajan Salvi joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday, a development that is seen as a major setback for party chief Uddhav Thackeray. Salvi, who served as the representative of the Rajapur assembly constituency in Ratnagiri district from 2009 to 2024, had lost the November 2024 assembly elections to Shiv Sena’s Kiran Samant, the brother of Industry Minister Uday Samant. Since his defeat, Salvi has expressed dissatisfaction with party leaders, blaming them for his electoral loss.
In a letter to Uddhav Thackeray Salvi said, In the prevailing circumstances and amid the internal politics within the organization, I won't be able to do justice to my post. Accepting moral responsibility for my defeat, I am resigning as the deputy leader of the party. The coastal Konkan region, including Ratnagiri district, was once a stronghold of Thackeray's party.
Even after his defeat in the Assembly elections, speculation about Rajan Salvi’s defection persisted, though he repeatedly denied it. A staunch loyalist of Matoshree, Salvi remained with Uddhav Thackeray’s faction even after the Shiv Sena split. However, sources suggest he was discontented with a local party leader, which may have influenced his decision to step down as deputy leader.