Mahayuti has made Sachin Ahir the candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council. Minister Sanjay Shirsat called it an ‘operation’ on UBT. Ahir had recently left the Uddhav Thackeray faction and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [भारत]June 30 (ANI): Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Tuesday said the Mahayuti alliance has proposed the name of Shiv Sena leader Sachin Ahir for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Describing the move as an important political development, he took a dig at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
Speaking to reporters after Ahir filed his nomination, Shirsat said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe and other leaders were present during the filing of nomination.
Shirsat targeted Uddhav group
Shirsat said, “Today was the time to file the application for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council. For this, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Neelam Gorhe and all of us were present. Everyone was curious whose form would be filled today. But Eknath Shinde Saheb once again performed an ‘operation’ on the UBT and we have filed the application of Sachin Ahir for the post of Deputy Chairman.”
Praising Ahir, the minister said he has had a long political career and enjoys strong support in Mumbai’s Worli constituency. He said, “Sachin Ahir is a staunch Shiv Sainik. He has not changed parties, but has joined Shiv Sena (Shinde faction). He has been a minister of state and has a good hold in the Worli area. Even a worker like him was being suppressed. This is an explosion of that.”
‘Everyone will come except Aditya Thackeray’
Shirsat claimed that the decision reflected the sentiments of Shiv Sena workers and asserted that Eknath Shinde had the right to take decisions about candidates in the interest of the party. He also alleged that more leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) may join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the coming days. Shirsat claimed, “The number of people joining Shiv Sena now is very strong. All decisions on how many people will come are being taken by Eknath Shinde. Our estimate is that except Aditya Thackeray, everyone else will join Shiv Sena.”
Another blow to UBT
The comments come after Shiv Sena (UBT) Legislative Council member Sachin Ahir joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and filed his nomination for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council as the party’s candidate. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were with Ahir when he filed his nomination.
This development comes after six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs recently joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, dealing another blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction after the party’s split in 2022. (ANI)
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