Political Defection Sparks Violence in Ulhasnagar
Tensions erupted in Ulhasnagar on Saturday following a violent clash allegedly involving supporters of Shiv Sena’s Kalyan city president, Rajendra Chaudhary. The incident was triggered by the decision of a former corporator and her husband to quit Shiv Sena and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Knife Brandished in Alleged Assault
According to a police complaint filed by Manohar Bahanwal, the husband of former corporator Shubhangi Bahanwal, a group of assailants brandished a knife and physically assaulted him and their supporters. The complaint states that one of the alleged attackers attempted to stab Manohar with the knife, but he was overpowered by alert locals who intervened.
An FIR has been registered against eight Shiv Sena workers under sections related to assault and the Arms Act. The police confirmed that all the accused are currently absconding, and a manhunt has been launched to trace them.
Chain of Events Leading to the Clash
The political atmosphere had been heating up after Shubhangi Bahanwal, Manohar, and a number of their supporters recently left Shiv Sena to join the BJP. This move reportedly angered Chaudhary's supporters.
The situation escalated on Saturday when a Shiv Sena worker, Shilratna Jadhav—who is also named in the FIR—allegedly thrashed a BJP supporter and auto-rickshaw driver, Yogesh Pawar. A non-cognisable complaint was initially lodged in that case.
Later in the evening, when Pawar was recounting the incident to Manohar and other BJP supporters, Jadhav returned with a group of Sena workers and allegedly launched a fresh attack on them.
Political Fallout and Police Response
In response to the violence, BJP workers, led by the party’s district chief Rajesh Vadhrya and MLA Kumar Ailani, staged a protest outside the central police station in Ulhasnagar. They demanded strict action against the attackers.
“BJP workers do not believe in violence. Those who attacked our members will soon be behind bars,” Vadhrya told the media.
Shankar Awtade, the senior inspector at the central police station, assured that a manhunt is underway for the eight alleged assailants. This incident highlights the intense political poaching within the Mahayuti alliance in the run-up to the local body polls, with several corporators switching sides between Shiv Sena and BJP.
