In the run-up to the Maharashtra municipal elections, party-switching has intensified as leaders strategise to secure electoral opportunities. Around 70 corporators from the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance were elected unopposed, prompting opposition parties to court local leaders to bolster their ranks. Former MNS general secretary Santosh Dhuri quit his party and joined the BJP, chanting Jai Maharashtra while criticizing Raj Thackeray for “handing over” MNS to Shiv Sena. Soon after, the MNS faced another setback as spokesperson Hemant Kamble and general secretary Raja Chougule joined the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena.
Bhosale, Leaders Join Shinde’s Shiv Sena
Meanwhile, former MLA Nitin Bhosale, who had joined the BJP from Sharad Pawar’s NCP on December 25, switched to Shinde’s Shiv Sena after being denied a ticket for the Nashik Municipal Corporation elections. His family’s exclusion from the electoral process was cited as a key reason for leaving the BJP. The party entry drive also saw former mayor Vinayak Pandey, Yatin Wagh, and Congress leader Shahu Khaire joining Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
During Nitin Bhosale’s BJP induction, there had been a minor ruckus at the party office, with Minister Girish Mahajan being surrounded by supporters. These defections underscore the ongoing jockeying for political advantage ahead of the municipal polls, with the Shinde faction appearing to benefit from the influx of seasoned leaders from rival parties.