In a significant political development, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) unit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar witnessed a mass defection of its top leadership on Wednesday. This exodus came mere hours after the party announced an electoral alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) for the upcoming municipal corporation elections.
Key Leaders Jump Ship to Ruling Alliance
The rebellion was led by the party's city and district president, Sumit Khambekar. He formally joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai. The event was marked by the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself, underscoring its importance.
Simultaneously, two other prominent city presidents, Gajan Gowdapatil and Ashish Suradkar, switched their allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They joined the BJP in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the presence of cabinet minister Atul Save and other senior leaders. These defections represent a major organizational collapse for the MNS in the region.
Discontent and Indecision Fuel the Revolt
The leaders who quit cited deep-seated frustration with the party's top leadership and its recent political maneuvers. Sumit Khambekar explicitly stated that many of his past public grievances were directed against the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. "It makes no sense to count the same political foes as friends now," he remarked, highlighting the ideological confusion caused by the new alliance.
Gajan Gowdapatil provided further insight into the local cadre's disillusionment. He blamed the "indecisiveness by the top leadership" for the crisis. With less than a month remaining for the municipal polls, local functionaries were left in the dark about whether the party would even contest. "We have to deal with many poll aspirants and face their wrath," Gowdapatil explained, pointing to the practical challenges on the ground.
A Calculated Blow to MNS Morale
The timing of the mass resignation appears strategic, coinciding perfectly with the political reunion of the Thackeray cousins—Raj Thackeray (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT). According to local MNS functionaries, this was a plan hatched by Mahayuti politicians over the past fortnight to trigger defections and cripple the MNS.
A local MNS office-bearer revealed, "The idea was to leave MNS leadership shell-shocked on the day when the Thackeray cousins announced their election ties. The MNS has developed such a huge vacuum within Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar now that there hardly exists any party cadre." This exodus is expected to significantly boost the morale of the ruling Mahayuti alliance ahead of the crucial local body elections.
This incident is not an isolated one. The MNS had already seen the exit of other prominent politicians from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar region, including Prakash Mahajan, Aniket Nillewar, and Suhas Dashrathe. The latest wave of resignations threatens to decimate the party's organizational structure in the city entirely.
