Sena (UBT) affiliated transporters’ union split, 250 join Shinde faction

Transporters' body Shiv Vahatuk Sena, affiliated to Shiv Sena (UBT), faced a setback as its chief Mohan Goyal and several members joined Shiv Sena in Mumbai. Goyal said more members are expected to follow. The transporters' union will discuss important issues with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, including extending the life of commercial vehicles and allowing maxi cabs to ply in the state. The Shiv Sena is in need of candidates for the upcoming BMC elections.

Mumbai: Shiv Vahatuk Sena, a body of transporters affiliated to the Shiv Sena (UBT), suffered a jolt as its chief Mohan Goyal along with several office bearers and members joined the Shiv Sena on Wednesday in the presence of chief minister Eknath Shinde.

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Goyal said 250 out of 5,000 members of the transporters’ union joined the Shinde-led Sena and some more are expected to follow suit.

“The decision to join the Shinde-led Sena is to serve the people. Shiv Sena (UBT) is not in power. Shinde saheb used to drive a rickshaw and he knows our problems. The entire body is with us. Later, some others who are left with the Shiv Sena (UBT) group will join us,’’ he said.

This transport union is less than a decade old and started as Maharashtra Shiv Vahatuk Sena in 2014 when it was formed by Haji Arafat Shaikh who joined the BJP in 2009 after which its name was changed to Shiv Vahatuk Sena wherein over 5,000 transporters from bus owners, auto and taxi owners, truck, tempo and trailer owners were part of the union.

The union also provided muscle to the then undivided Shiv Sena in the city especially in case of agitations like bandh by keeping vehicles off the roads. It also came in handy when it came to logistics for transporting party workers for political events such as rallies.

Goyal expects more members to join Shiv Sena and that he has been getting calls about it as well. He said that a meeting has been scheduled with chief minister Eknath Shinde to discuss a few important issues plaguing the transporters that need to be addressed.

“There are two major points that we shall be taking up. The first is extending the life of a commercial vehicle by two years which we lost during Covid-19 pandemic. We also want maxi cabs to be allowed to ply in the state,” he said. These cabs are light motor vehicles that carry between seven and 10 passengers, and they ply on fixed routes as per fare fixed by the government.

The life of a commercial vehicle is 8 years and due to the lockdown, many of these vehicles were parked on the road. The transporters have been demanding that the life of a commercial vehicle be made as 10 years after which it can be scrapped. All through the lockdown the transporters were fighting for financial assistance and relaxation in taxes.

As for the need for maxi cabs, these are 7-12 seater vehicles that are running in other parts of the country. However, Maharashtra doesn’t have this vehicle running. The maxi cab can be a good alternative for minibuses that are usually 21-seaters.

There are nearly 40,000 buses, 30,000 trucks, tempos, containers and trailers and 2.60 lakh auto rickshaws in Mumbai and its metropolitan region. Sources said that usually, the transporters from varied verticals are part of different unions and associations.

The Shiv Vahatuk Sena operated from an office owned by Goyal and this has also gone with him and those left with the Shiv Sena (UBT) affiliated union will have to look for alternate space.

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant who heads the umbrella trade union affiliated to the Shiv Sena (UBT), Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, said, “Vahatuk Sena is a very old organisation. Nilesh Bhosale and Sajid Supariwala handle the Shiv Vahatuk Sena. Goyals quitting does not make difference to us.’’

Bhosale insisted “Goyal is the only one who joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. We will manage the affairs. He told us some days back that he will join the Shiv Sena and we called a meeting of office bearers and convinced our people to stay back. We have lost the office as the property was owned by Goyal. We will set up a new one.’’

Meanwhile former corporator of Shiv Sena (UBT) Subhash Kanta Sawant has joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of chief minister Shinde. He was presently the assembly constituency in charge of the Vile Parle constituency. He is a former corporator too and was on some civic committees.

Panvel city chief of Nationalist Congress Party Mahesh Sawant also joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena is in need of candidates for the forthcoming BMC elections and CM Shinde is trying to get former corporators from Shiv Sena (UBT).

A top leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) said, “Sawant had some organisational issues. We had heard that he would leave our party. I counselled him twice and also made him speak to our chief Uddhav Thackeray but he decided to leave.’’

Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab said, “Our Sainiks are being lured and they are falling prey to this.’’