Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's right hand Milind Narvekar has been replaced by old hand Ravindra Mhatre. The close confidante of Thackeray family is missing even as the Shiv Sena is facing its biggest challenge in the decade.
Milind Narvekar is no stranger to controversies. Sena stalwarts such as former CM and now BJP union minister Narayan Rane, Uddhav Thackeray's cousin MNS chief Raj Thackeray, rebel Shiv Sena MP Mohan Rawale, all blamed Narvekar for creating a rift between them and Bal Thackeray and Uddhav. He was forced to demolish his own 2000 sq ft sea-facing bungalow located on a plot spanning around 1.80 acres at Dapoli-Murud seashore in Ratnagiri district in August 2022 fearing action by the authorities since the high-profile Shiv Sena leader had erected it in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The unusual move of the Shiv Sena leader was considered an attempt to save further embarrassment to the Thackeray family.
Ravindra Mhatre had fallen out of the grace of the Thackeray household after an alleged drunk driving accident killing a senior citizen woman and her daughter at a bus stop on the western express highway at the airport junction on Holi in March 2005. He was booked for speeding by the Mumbai police and later granted bail.
Mhatre started as a member of Shiv Sena supremo's private security guard and won the trust to become PA to the senior Thackeray for fixing appointments, reading letters, attending telephone calls and conveying messages to the aging patriarch.
“Milind Narvekar has lost the confidence of Uddhav Thackeray and replaced with old trusted hands to face the challenges Shiv Sena is facing with rebellion in rank and file,” confirmed a senior Shiv Sena functionary aware of the developments in the Uddhav Thackeray's inner circle.
Uddhav Thackeray has made many changes in his core group and party office bearers after the rebel Eknath Shinde group formed the state government in alliance with BJP. The arrest of MP Sanjay Raut further rattled the Shiv Sena chief and replaced his team to counter the growing dissent within the party fold.
Narvekar was the first to be sent to mediate with the Eknath Shinde faction in Guwahati but failed to bring the rebel group to talk with Uddhav Thackeray for a resolution. “The failure to assess the growing resentment and break the impasse with the rebel Shiv Sena was taken by Uddhav Thackeray to heart and Narvekar was blamed. Close rapport with Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde further added to the mistrust,” explained the senior Shiv Sainik.
Eknath Shinde's visit to Milnd Narvekar's swanky Khar residence for Ganesh darshan created further rift amongst the Shiv Sena old guards uncomfortable with the proximity shared by Uddhav aide and rebels.
(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
