66 of 67 Thane 'corporators' support Eknath Shinde; dealing Uddhav Thackeray a major setback

In a big blow to the Uddhav Thackeray camp, the entire group of Thane Shiv Sena corporators, sans one, walked over to the Eknath Shinde camp. Sixty six of the 67 Shiv Sena corporators have joined the Eknath Shinde camp on Wednesday, including former mayor Naresh Maske. The lone corporator holding out is Nandini Vichare, wife of Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare who was made the chief whip in the Lok Sabha by the Uddhav group on Wednesday.

Technically, the 66 corporators are former corporators as the term of the Thane Municipal Corporation ended in February and elections are due after the monsoons. However, the significance of the move cannot be underestimated as after Mumbai, Thane was seen as the Shiv Sena's bastion. In a single stroke, Shinde has taken over the elected representatives of the Sena's entire Thane unit.





This shows Shinde's ability to not just cause a split in the legislative unit but also in civic bodies. Shinde has had a hold in Thane, Palghar, Kalyan Dombivli and Bhiwandi units of the party. Shinde's rebellion had made the Uddhav camp scramble to ensure that these party functionaries do not extend support to Shinde. Sources said that another 25 corporators from Navi Mumbai are also likely to join Shinde.

Even rural Maharashtra is likely to see desertions from the Uddhav camp. It looks like several party functionaries in the Sena's Nagpur unit are in a mood to switch their allegiance to the Shinde camp. The Sena expects desertions from its organisational structure in constituencies involving its rural MLAs. This development comes as another Lok Sabha MP from Palghar, Rajendra Gavit, has asked the party to reconsider its decision to vote for the Opposition's Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha and instead vote for the BJP's candidate Draupadi Murmu.

Former MP from Amravati, Anandrao Adsul, on Wednesday resigned as a leader from the party and there is speculation that he too is on his way to the Shinde camp. So desperate has the Uddhav camp become in retaining its flock together that former Shirur MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who was expelled from the party for congratulating Eknath Shinde on becoming the chief minister on July 3, had his expulsion promptly revoked the next day with the party calling it a "mistake".

The truce between the two would be shortlived as the Uddhav camp wants Adhalrao Patil to contest the Pune Lok Sabha seat. Adhalrao is keen on contesting from Shirur where he lost to the current NCP MP Amol Kolhe. Over the next few days and months, the Uddhav camp may have to coax and cajole their leaders to stay loyal to the leadership.