In a setback to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Yuva Sena leader and close aide of Aaditya Thackeray Rahul Kanal will join the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday, ANI reported. Along with Kanal, many other workers will join the Shinde camp.
Hitting out at Uddhav Thackeray, Kanal said the former CM took decisions in his party at the behest of a few people and on their advice.
"I am going to join the Shinde group tomorrow and many workers will also join me. The joining ceremony is at 12 noon tomorrow in the presence of CM Eknath Shinde...tomorrow more than 1000 workers will join the Shinde group along with me," Rahul Kanal told ANI.
"Uddhav Thackeray takes decisions in his party at the behest of a few people and on their advice. There is also a thing called self-respect," he further said.
Kanal is a popular face in Bandra and is considered to be close to Aaditya since Yuva Sena was formed over 10 years ago.
Kanal had earlier quit the Yuva Sena core committee, hinting that he was upset with the functioning of its panel. He had already started dissociating from various party activities and responsibilities for the past couple of months, IANS reported.
On Friday, the Sena (UBT) suspended all office-bearers of the Yuva Sena from Bandra West, including Kanal.
Following the incident, Kanal took to Twitter and said, "Feeling Sad !!! Very well know who has done this but removing people who have worked for you without a hearing is arrogance and you could remove me but not the people who have worked day and night yet. Chalo acha hai sabko pata chale ke Ego Aur arrogance kya hota hai !!! (it's good that now people will know what happens with ego and arrogance)."
Kanal will be joining the Shinde camp on a day Aaditya will be leading a protest march against alleged corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbai.
A fortnight ago, another senior leader, Sena (UBT) MLC and spokesperson Dr Manisha Kayande had joined the Shiv Sena.