8 former Congress, Sena(UBT) corporators move to Shinde’s camp

The exodus is a blow to Congress, as the party is preparing for the INDIA meet to be held in Mumbai next week, with its MVA partners. According to insiders, leaders have reached out to MP Rahul Gandhi to step in for damage control

MUMBAI: Eight former corporators – six from Congress, one from Shiv Sena (UBT) and another from Samajwadi party – joined the Shiv Sena on Saturday, in the presence of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Joining the team were also former MLA Tukaram Kate and his wife Anagha of Shiv Sena (UBT). The event took place at the CM’s official residence, on the occasion of the death anniversary of Shinde’s guru, Anand Dighe.

8 former Congress, Sena(UBT) corporators move to Shinde’s camp

The exodus is a blow to Congress, as the party is preparing for the INDIA meet to be held in Mumbai next week, with its MVA partners. According to insiders, leaders have reached out to MP Rahul Gandhi to step in for damage control. It is believed that those who have made the switch have been having differences with the Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad. She was elevated to this position in June this year, replacing Bhai Jagtap.

Mumbai Congress’s working president Charansingh Sapra said, “It is unfortunate that they are leaving after serving the party for so long. Our minority wing president Babbu Khan is also leaving us. We have to introspect how ‘khoke sarkar’ managed to get them.”

When word about this went around earlier on Saturday evening, Gaikwad denied that any corporator was moving. But after the programme at Varsha, when HT reached out to her for a reaction, she refused to take our calls.

Four corporators -- Babbu Khan, Kunal Mane, Ganga Mane and Bhaskar Shetty -- are from Dharavi, which is represented by Gaikwad. Former corporator Pushpa Koli is from Sion Koliwada and was a close associate of Eknath Gaikwad, father of Varsha Gaikwad.

Sources in the Shiv Sena said two of the six corporators are Muslim, which indicates that the party is looking to strengthen the vote bank from the minority community. The Shiv Sena and BJP want to take control of the BMC and is getting former candidates so that they have enough people to be able to contest.

Earlier this month, former Congress corporator Supriya More had joined Shinde’s Sena. One of the former corporators said that 10 more are waiting in the wings to make the move to Shiv Sena. Former Congress corporator Wajid Qureishi said he is impressed by the way Shinde calls himself a worker and is inspired by his willingness to work hard.

Former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Kate, who runs a school in Chembur with 4000 students, said Shinde has promised to redevelop his dilapidated institute. He pointed out, “There is a statue of Shivaji in Chembur whose height is less than that of the height of metro; when I wanted to meet then CM Uddhav Thackeray about it, they asked me to do a Covid test. I have yet to meet him. This is an insult to Shivaji.”

Speaking about the Kates joining Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut said, “We have done many favours to the Kates, yet they have decided to defect. They are craving for power and money.”