New Delhi: In a major setback to Shiv Sena chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, senior leader Ramdas Kadam resigned from the party on Monday. Ramdas Kadam has sent his resignation from the membership of the party to Matoshree, the residence of Uddhav Thackeray. Earlier, his son and MLA Yogesh Kadam had joined the Eknath Shinde camp in Guwahati. Ramdas Kadam had also served as the environment minister in the BJP-Sena government in the state (2014-19).
He was not given any ministerial post when the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi was in power (from November 2019 to June 2022) and was evidently sulking.
He was even denied one more term as a member of the state Legislative Council last year.
Last month, Sena MLA Eknath Shinde opposed the party alongside 39 legislators.
This news has come at a time when Uddhav Thackeray has appointed new office bearers on a large scale across Maharashtra. He has appointed more than 100 office bearers in many other districts including Mumbai, Palghar, Yavatmal, and Amravati. During this, a large number of new faces have been brought into the posts of Deputy Department Head and Branch Head. The party has announced new appointments in its mouthpiece Saamana.
At the same time, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition filed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 14 other Shiv Sena MLAs (members of the Legislative Assembly). In this petition, the disqualification proceedings initiated by the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly have been challenged.
(With PTI inputs)