UBT workers join Eknath Shinde faction in Navi Mumbai

While Shinde camp claimed 107 workers including 10 veterans joined their party, the UBT faction said the claim was baseless

Navi Mumbai

UBT workers join Eknath Shinde faction in Navi Mumbai

Over 100-odd office bearers of Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena switched their allegiance to the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena. It inlcuded at least 10 party veterans who attributed the switch to poor leadership both at the local UBT unit and their disenchantment with the top leadership.

The members were inducted in a public gathering conducted at Sanpada on Monday night. Some of the prominent names to have moved to the Eknath Shinde camp were former opposition leader in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Dilip Ghodekar, senior party office bearers Vijay Mane, Milind Suryarav, Manohar Joshi among others.

The gathering was presided by former NMMC municipal Commissioner and deputy leader Vijay Nahata, state sena coordinator Naresh Mhaske, former opposition leader and district head Vijay Choughule and district coordinator Kishore Patkar.

“Today 107 party workers have left with us. I can confidently say that it is only a matter of time that the entire Belapur constituency which comprises 50 shakhas of Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena will become empty. The dirty politics happening at the city level is the single most reason for die hard workers like myself deciding to switch. It is heart wrenching to see the decay that has set in the party for which I have toiled for more than 30 years,” said Vijay Mane, one of the inductees in Eknath Shinde faction.

Mane reminisced of the efforts put in to build the party under the leadership of Bal Thackeray and cited the 25-odd police cases against him as a medal and testimonial of the hard work he has put in for the party. “Unfortunately, hard work is not recognized. On the contrary, we were neglected and ill treated by the city leadership. Earlier, the nominations for party unit heads came from Matoshri, making this a matter of immense pride. But, due to the poor leadership, this is now decided at the zonal level with no thought given to the merit of a person to hold the post,” said a party worker present at the function.

The Navi Mumbai unit of Shiv Sena had witnessed a massive split in July 2022, when Vijay Nahata and Vijay Choughule had joined Shinde faction along with 28 former corporators. “Monday’s induction can be termed as the biggest switch in the Shiv Sena post the July 2022 split. The frustration with both the local leadership as well as the failure of the topmost leadership to take cognizance of the unrest is the reason for the fall out. By January 31, even the remaining few will join us as there is no leadership left,” said Nahata.

Meanwhile, UBT Sena in a press conference claimed that only six members have defected as against the 100-odd being projected. “ I am deeply saddened that six former party workers chose to fall into the trap set by the same individuals who were unceremoniously removed from the party last year. These individuals have sealed their political career,” said Vithal More, the UBT district chief, claiming that the 100-odd members leaving the party was a baseless claim.