Former MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil will continue to be with Shiv Sena as its deputy leader, the clarification was issued by the party on Sunday after a news report carried by the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said Patil was not with the party anymore.
“The news report in ‘Saamana’ was published inadvertently and Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil continues to serve in the party as its deputy leader,” Shiv Sena secretary Vinayak Raut said in a statement.
Patil is Sena’s former MP from Shirur.
Last month, MLA Eknath Shinde launched a rebellion against the party. A majority of MLAs sided with him, which led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Shinde was on Thursday sworn in as the 20th chief minister of Maharashtra, while BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy chief minister.
After stepping down as the CM, Thackeray removed Shinde from the post of ‘Shiv Sena leader’.