Uddhav Sena helps Shinde party bag Chakan mayor’s post unopposed

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena backed the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the local body election for the post of the mayor of the Chakan municipal council on Monday, November 17, which happens to be the 13th death anniversary of the original undivided Shiv Sena’s founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, who passed away in 2012.

In Chakan, Manisha Gore, the wife of the late Suresh Gore, a former Shiv Sena MLA, late Suresh Gore, filed her nomination papers for the election to the mayor’s post a candidate of the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MLA Babaji Kale and Shinde Sena MLA Sharad Sonawane, as well as other leaders and activists of both Shiv Senas.

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Reacting to the strange development, Dilip Mohite, a former MLA of the ruling Ajit Pawar-led NCP from Khed Alandi assembly, against whom both the Shiv Senas came together to back Manisha Gore, alleged, “Some children of Shinde Sena leaders are in Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena, while the children of some Uddhav Thackeray leaders are in Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. These two leaders have been together since the assembly elections, and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena helped the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections”.

However, Uddhav Thackeray-led MLA Babaji Kale clarified, “Our action cannot be called an alliance. Suresh Gore was a Shiv Sena MLA in 2014. He passed away during the Covid pandemic. I have been an MLA of the original undivided Shiv Sena. When I contested the elections in 2024, the entire Gore family including Manisha Gore was present on our platform. They had publicly campaigned for me. Now Manisha Gore is interested in the mayor’s post. Therefore, as a tribute to her husband, the late Suresh Gore, we decided to support Manisha Gore and get her elected unopposed”.

“This is the first election here after the late MLA Suresh Gore of Khed-Alandi. His wife Manisha Gore entered the fray for the post of Chakan mayor. Therefore, we have put politics aside for Manisha Gore. As a tribute to the late MLA Suresh Gore, we supported Manisha Gore in the mayoral election. However, this cannot be called our alliance,” Kale told media persons on Monday.

“Manisha Gore has immense sympathy in Chakan city. Even though two Shiv Sena parties have now been formed, considering the work done by Suresh Gore in the assembly and his cooperation, we decided not to field any Shiv Sena Uddhav Sena candidate. When Manisha Gore filed her election application, I, our taluka head, office bearers, and Shiv Sainiks all went together. We have appealed to everyone to elect Manisha Gore unopposed. Even if the election is not held unopposed, we will support her. However, we have fielded candidates for the post of corporator in the Chakan Municipal Council. We have not formed any alliance. We have only supported Manisha Gore for the post of Chakan mayor. Our Uddhav Sena candidates are contesting on the burning torch election symbol in the Chakan municipal council elections,” Uddhav Thackeray-led MLA Babaji Kale said.

“This decision is limited only to the contest for the post of Chakan mayor. We are contesting on our own in Rajgurunagar and Alandi in the taluka,” Uddhav Thackeray-led MLA Babaji Kale emphasised.

Meanwhile, in another development, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MLA Milind Narvekar softened Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s opposition to include Deputy CM Eknath shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Shishir Shinde as a member of the Balasaheb Thackeray National Memorial Committee, after mediation, though Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s plea to be on the committee was rejected by Fadnavis.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had initially opposed the appointment of Shishir Shinde, who had broken away from the undivided Shiv Sena, as a member of the Balasaheb Thackeray National Memorial Committee.

However, after Shishir’s appointment was opposed by Uddhav, Narvekar, who is also Uddhav Thackeray’s Man Friday and secretary, mediated and found a way to include Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Shishir Shinde, who is now a member of the Balasaheb Thackeray National Memorial Committee.