In a major setback for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), veteran Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe, who is Deputy Chairperson of Maharashtra Legislative Council, joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s rival Sena faction on Friday.
Ms. Gorhe, who has been associated with the party for over 25 years, is the third Member of Legislative Council (MLC) to quit the Thackeray camp and defect to the ruling camp since Mr. Shinde’s intra-party revolt in June last year. Last month, Sena (UBT) spokesperson and MLC Manisha Kayande had moved to Mr. Shinde’s faction.
“The Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde’s leadership is the official Sena. The party is heading in the right direction under Mr. Shinde’s leadership. Be it the cadre or leaders, everyone is losing confidence in Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership,” said Ms. Gorhe, who joined the Shinde Sena in the presence of the CM and Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.
Explaining her reasons for leaving Mr. Thackeray’s side, Ms. Gorhe, a four-term MLC, said she had decided to join Mr. Shinde’s camp to work harder for women’s issues and the overall development of the State and the country.
Mr. Fadnavis’ presence at what is essentially a Shiv Sena event was seen as a show of unity by the ruling Shinde-BJP alliance, given that the alliance has been under strain after the induction of Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction in the government.
Remarking that the “Mahayuti” (Shinde Sena-BJP alliance) was “getting stronger by the day”, Mr. Shinde said: “Everyone is seeing the work we do, and this is why our Sena is getting stronger and more people keep joining us. Neelam Gorhe will be able to work freely with all her heart on women’s issues. She has not defected to our side… She is merely returning back to the original Sena.”
Mr. Shinde reiterated that rumours were being planted by the Opposition who wanted a schism in the Sena-BJP unity. He was alluding to the Thackeray camp’s claims of the imminent disqualification of the Shinde Sena MLAs following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling.
“Some people float their own versions of the Supreme Court’s ruling… let them be happy in their delusions that we will be disqualified… Uddhav Thackeray should introspect before levelling allegations,” said the CM.
In February this year, Sena (UBT) MLC Viplav Bajoria had switched over to Chief Minister Shinde’s camp. Forty MLAs and 13 MPs are currently with Mr. Shinde following his revolt in June last year which led to the collapse of the MVA government headed by Mr. Thackeray.
Ms. Gorhe’s exit brings down the strength of the Sena (UBT) legislators in the Legislative Council to eight from its previous tally of 11. With Mr. Ajit Pawar’s adhesion to the ruling government, the strength of MLCs in the Legislative Council has now decisively moved to the ruling coalition.
