Maharashtra: After 40 legislators, 12 Shiv Sena MPs under Shinde camp’s radar

After 40 legislators, Shinde camp is in the midst of getting in its fold 12 of the total 18 MPs from Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

A senior legislator from Shinde camp told the Free Press Journal, ‘’Already a series of interactive meetings were held with 12 MPs and it is merely a formality for them to migrate to Shinde camp. Shrikant Shinde who is MP from Kalyan is son of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.’’ He, however, said that Thackeray loyalists including Gajanan Kirtikar, Vinayak Raut, Arvind Sawant, Rajan Vichare and Omarjeet Nimbalkar have not been considered for their induction as they will stick to the Thackeray camp. CM Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde is already with him.

Another Shinde camp legislator said the 12 MPs the under radar are Krupal Tamhane, Bhavana Gawali, Hemant Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Hemant Godse, Rajendra Gavit, Rahul Shewale (who has urged Thackeray that the party should vote for NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu in the Presidential election), Shrirang Barne, Sadashiv Lokhande, Sanjay Mandlik, Pratap Jadhav and Dhairyasheel Mane.

‘’They will soon shift to the Shinde camp. Thereafter the Shinde camp, which is an original Shiv Sena, will focus on getting in its fold at least 60 of the total 84 district chiefs and shakha pramukhs. The Shinde camp will later take the control of offices of Shiv Sena district chiefs and shakha pramukhs,’’ he noted.

A former minister Gulabrao Patil confirmed that 12 MPs will soon join the Shinde camp. ‘’I have already held talks with four MPs. Besides, 22 former legislators will also join the Shinde camp. Our party is Balasaheb Thackeray’s party and we will rebuild it in the state.

Meanwhile, Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has sacked party MP Bhavana Gawli from the post of chief whip in the Lok Sabha ahead of the Presidential election slated for July 18. Gawali has been replaced by Rajan Vichare who is the party MP from Thane. This was announced by party MP Sanjay Raut. Gawali had hogged the headlines after she in a letter to former chief minister and party president Uddhav Thackeray had urged him not to take action against the rebel legislators who were making a plea to take a crucial decision on the Hindutva issue.