Ramdas Kadam to be dropped from list of invitees for Shiv Sena Dussehra rally?

After the purported audio clips of Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam went viral, the party is unlikely to invite the leader for the Dussehra rally on October 15 in Mumbai. With the party inviting only a limited number of leaders and functionaries at the indoor event at Shanmukhanand Hall, the former Sena environment minister is likely to be axed from the list of invitees.

After the purported audio clips of Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam went viral, the party is unlikely to invite the leader for the Dussehra rally on October 15 in Mumbai. With the party inviting only a limited number of leaders and functionaries at the indoor event at Shanmukhanand Hall, the former Sena environment minister is likely to be axed from the list of invitees.

Party insiders said that the Shiv Sena chief was not happy with the audio clips where Ramdas Kadam was heard expressing happiness over action against Sena minister Anil Parab by district authorities. (HT Photo)

Party insiders said that the Sena chief was not happy with the audio clips where Kadam was heard expressing happiness over action against Sena minister Anil Parab by district authorities. The audio clips were put out by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Vaibhav Khedekar alleging that the information against Parab was leaked by Kadam through Prasad Karve, the Right to Information (RTI) activist in Ratnagiri district.

“We are inviting a limited number of people including ministers, leaders and functionaries in the hierarchy of the party. Since we have to follow Covid-19 protocols, it won’t be possible to accommodate everybody. Kadam may be dropped from the invited [leaders] along with some other party functionaries,” said a senior party functionary. Party insiders also added that former union minister and Sena leader Anant Geete may not be invited after he called Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar a “backstabber”.

Sena chief spokesperson Arvind Sawant, “The gathering will be held at Shanmukhanad Hall with 50% capacity. Only a limited number of people will be asked to come there; around 1,300 people will be there... I am not sure if Ramdas Kadam is invited or not.”

With around four months to go for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Sena chief, and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is expected to speak on the party’s plan to keep control of the civic body. Interestingly, Kadam is a legislator who is elected to the state legislative council from the Mumbai local self-government bodies. Kadam’s term ends on January 1, 2022.