CM Shinde forms parallel Sena, becomes its leader

MUMBAI:  Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing due July 20, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde constituted a parallel Shiv Sena, making himself as leader of the new party and his loyalists as office-bearers.
In the new officer-bearers’ list, Shinde did not exclude president of Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray while appointing himself as the party leader.

The reason why Shinde has not removed Uddhav from the top party post is that as per the party constitution, no one has the right to remove the president. “The president remains but a new party body has been formed,” Shinde added. The new CM has appointed Deepak Kesarkar as the spokesperson of his faction. On the other hand, Uddhav Thackeray expelled Ramdas Kadam and Anadrao Adsule from the party for “anti-party” activities.

After a vertical split in the Shiv Sena legislative wing, Shinde has also poached 12 Sena Lok Sabha MPs. They are now likely to form a new group after their recognition as a separate group in the Lok Sabha. The dozen Sena MPs are also due to meet PM Modi and other BJP leaders on Tuesday. The rest of the six Lok Sabha MPs of the party are with Uddhav Thackeray.

Shinde will be arriving in Delhi on July 19 to meet BJP leaders. He will get legal advice on the plea seeking disqualification of Sena MLAs, which will come up before a Supreme Court bench on July 20.
The Shinde faction has decided to appoint party’s Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale as leader of Sena MPs in the House. Bhavna Gawali will be the chief whip.

In the new officer-bearer list, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has appointed deputy leaders — Yashwant Jadhav, Gulabrao Patil, Uday Samant, Sharad Ponkshe, Tanaji Sawant, Vijay Nahata, and Shivaji Adalrao Patil. Source said that Shinde can now tell the Supreme Court about the vertical split in the party, therefore the new group should be given a separate identity.

Uddhav loyalist kadam also bids bye
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray got another setback on Monday as his close aide, firebrand leader and former minister Ramdas Kadam resigned from Shiv Sena leader’s post. In his resignations letter to Thackeray, Kadam, who was sulking for quite some time, said that Shiv Sena under the leadership of Uddhav has compromised the Hindutva agenda of Balasaheb Thackeray by allying with Congress and NCP in 2019. Interestingly, Kadam’s son Yogesh Kadam who was elected from Khed in Konkan has already left Thackeray’s Sena and joined Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde camp.