Sena MP Kirtikar invites ire for saying his son in opp camp could win

Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar faces backlash over son's potential win in Mumbai North West, wife's remarks against CM; party colleague demands action.

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar is facing the heat after his remark that his son Amol could win the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North West constituency. Kirtikar’s wife Meghana’s remarks against chief minister Eknath Shinde have added fuel to the fire, and Kirtikar’s party colleague Shishir Shinde has written to the CM, demanding action against the MP.

HT Image

Kirtikar is the sitting MP from Mumbai North West, who sided with Eknath Shinde following the split in the Shiv Sena. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, his son Amol contested from the same constituency as a Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate. Since Amol was in the fray, Kirtikar chose not to contest even though Shinde had offered to renominate him. Shinde then fielded Jogeshwari MLA Ravindra Waikar, who till recently was known as a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.

While Kirtikar campaigned for Waikar, his statements made to a Marathi news channel kicked up a controversy on Wednesday. Kirtikar said that his son could get elected from Mumbai North West and added that Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had fielded good candidates. Two days earlier, Kirtikar’s wife Meghna had told media persons at a polling booth that she had not approved of her husband joining the Shinde-led Sena and supported her son who chose to stay with Thackeray. She added that Shinde was far junior to Kirtikar, and she did not like her husband saluting him.

These two instances have now kicked up a row in the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Shishir Shinde, who is a deputy leader of the party, wrote to the CM on Wednesday, demanding Kirtikar’s ouster from the party. He said that Kirtikar had “blind love” for his son, and also mentioned how Meghna Kirtikar insulted the CM but Kirtikar remained a mute spectator. He also alleged that Kirtikar seemed to be in a hurry to rejoin the Shiv Sena (UBT).

BJP leader Pravin Darekar alleged that Gajanan Kirtikar’s ploy was to get his son elected unopposed by refusing to contest at the eleventh hour. “His plan was to get a Lok Sabha ticket from Mumbai North West and then withdraw quietly so that his son Amol could get easily elected,” Darekar said.

Kirtikar resorted to damage control later on Wednesday. Pointing out that he had campaigned for Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar and against his son, he added that he was also assigned to campaign for candidates in Nashik and Kolhapur. The senior leader also said that his wife had spoken “innocently” but her words were blown out of proportion.

Kirtikar said he underwent a lot of mental stress in the election. “I worked honestly for my party and joined the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde with certain ideas,” he said. “I will continue in this new party.”

Significantly, when Amol filed his nomination, Kirtikar told media persons that he had informed Shinde that he would not contest since his son was in the fray. After that, Shinde considered several options, including actor Govinda, a couple of Marathi actors and Sanjay Nirupam, and ultimately fielded Waikar, who had joined his party only a few weeks earlier. Uddhav Thackeray had announced Amol’s candidature much in advance.

Kirtikar has been with the Shiv Sena since the 1960s and was a key leader of the Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti Mahasangh, which is the Shiv Sena’s trade union in the banking and insurance sector. A resident of Goregaon, he has been a MLA and MP.