Actor-Turned-Politician Urmila Matondkar Now Formally A 'Shiv-Sainik'; Joins Party In Presence Of Uddhav Thackeray

After months of speculations about her next political move, actress Urmila Matondkar has formally joined the right-wing Marathi regional political party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.

Actor-turned-politician Urmila joins Shiv Sena/ Image courtesy: ANI

Maharashtra Politics: Actor turned politician Urmila Matondkar has joined Shiv Sena, in the presence of party president Uddhav Thackeray, on Tuesday afternoon at Matoshree bungalow. The move comes after months of speculations in media circles about her next political move. The 46-year-old actress had been denying that she was planning to join the Shiv Sena.

However, marking a shift from the norms, Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar got a 'ticket' first and then officially joined the Shiv Sena.

Shiv Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut had however confirmed on Monday that she will formally join the party on Tuesday.

Matondkar started her political inning with Indian National Congress and had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket but victory eluded her despite her cine fanbase and subsequently she quit the party later citing internal politics. Interestingly, Congress and Shiv Sena are allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government.

Ahead of the October 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, there was intense speculation that the 'Rangeela girl' would join the Sena, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party or even Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, but she had scoffed it as rumours only to formally get inducted in Sena, the right-wing Marathi regional political party in founded by Balasaheb Thackeray, a year later.