Gajanan Kirtikar joins Shinde faction

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) received yet another jolt on Friday after their MP Gajanan Kirtikar joined the rival Eknath Shinde camp

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) received yet another jolt on Friday after their MP Gajanan Kirtikar joined the rival Eknath Shinde camp. He visited chief minister Eknath Shinde and was welcomed into the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena at a function in Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi.

Kiritikar was a four-term MLA and two-term MP and was also a minister during the first Sena-BJP alliance government from 1995 to 99. (HT PHOTO)

Speaking at the meeting, Kirtikar said that he was often sidelined in Uddhav’s party.

“I worked to spread Sena to the middle class and to get jobs for Marathi youths in various organisations. My journey from a middle-class person to an MP was only possible because of Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said.

Later in the day, the Shiv Sena (UBT) sacked Kirtikar.

Kiritikar was a four-term MLA and two-term MP. He was also a minister during the first Sena-BJP alliance government from 1995 to 99. He was heading Sthanik Lokadhikar Samiti Mahasangh – an arm of the Shiv Sena that fought for the cause of locals in the banking and insurance sector.

However, his son, Amol Kirtikar, said that he would continue with the Thackeray faction.

Amol who is a deputy leader with the Shiv Sena and also a general secretary of Yuva Sena said, “During a meeting of booth workers, he had expressed unhappiness with Shiv Sena (UBT) aligning with Congress and NCP.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from South Mumbai, Arvind Sawant, said, “I condemn this. He spent his life in Sena and now crossed over to the other side. He sold his soul for a lucrative offer and all this won’t last long.”

Earlier in July, 12 MPs had joined the Shinde camp, while Shiv Sena (UBT) is left with five MPs.

In June, when Shinde toppled the Uddhav-led government, Kirtikar did not want to join as it was difficult for him to travel with a diabetic foot to Guwahati or other destinations. He was later hospitalised and Shinde had been to visit him at his residence in Goregaon.