Sena (UBT) loyalist Dagdu Sakpal joins Shinde-Sena

Sakpal, a two-term MLA from Parel in 1999 and 2004, was a long-time party worker in Parel, the Sena’s bastion for over five decades

Mumbai: In a setback for Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, party loyalist and 2-term MLA from party bastion in Parel Dagdu Sakpal joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday. The switch came after Sakpal’s daughter, Reshma, was reportedly denied a Sena-UBT ticket from Ward 203, where she wanted to contest.

Sena (UBT) loyalist Dagdu Sakpal joins Shinde-Sena.

Sakpal, a two-term MLA from Parel in 1999 and 2004, was a long-time party worker in Parel, the Sena’s bastion for over five decades. After he was defeated in the 2009 assembly elections by MNS candidate Bala Nandgaonkar at the Shivadi (Sewree) constituency he became less active in politics and was later replaced by another party loyalist, Ajay Chaudhary, now a three-term MLA since 2014.

Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde had visited Sakpal’s Parel residence three days ago, following which Sapkal had hinted that he might join the Shinde-Sena along with his family. “Since I have grown older the party no longer requires me,” Sakpal had said.

Welcoming him, Shinde said Sakpal was a committed Shiv Sainik who had worked with Bal Thackeray and accused the Sena (UBT) leadership of sidelining loyal workers. “What Sakpal is feeling today while quitting his party were the sentiments I felt when I quit the Sena in 2022. Quitting the party for which you worked hard is very painful, but it is inevitable when party leadership treats you like a slave,” Shinde said.