Kirtikar is the 13th Sena MP to have joined hands with the Shinde faction, now called the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. (Express)A day after Lok Sabha MP Gajanan Kirtikar joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, the Shiv Sena (UBT) called Kirtikar a spent force while claiming that he would soon be forgotten by the people.
“People will soon forget him. When he faces election next time, voters will say if he was right or wrong,” Sena MP Sanjay Raut told mediapersons. He added that he failed to understand why Kirtikar quit at the age of 79.
“He got all the benefits from the party all these years. He was MLA for five terms, MP for two terms and minister for two terms… he was also given several senior posts and responsibilities. But still at this age, he chose to switch over, I don’t know why. His son Amol is still with Shiv Sena. He tried to stop him but did not succeed,” Raut added.
Kirtikar is the 13th Sena MP to have joined hands with the Shinde faction, now called the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. Now, only six of the 19 MPs, who have been elected on the Sena ticket, are still with Uddhav Thackeray.
Kirtikar has said that he decided to switch sides due to the alleged humiliation he suffered at the hands of Uddhav. “I was being insulted and humiliated for 11 years in Shiv Sena, but I stayed just because my allegiance is with the party. In 2004, Uddhav had tried to cancel my ticket and wanted to give it to some builder’s brother. But Balasaheb had stopped him and given me a ticket. Even in 2019, when we were getting one ministry in the Union government, Uddhav gave it to Arvind Sawant but did not remember the seniormost leader like me. He gave it to those who are close to him,” Kirtikar has alleged.