KALYAN: In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections, former Mayor of Kalyan-Dombivli and UBT faction’s Kalyan Lok Sabha Co-Convener, Ramesh Jadhav, officially joined the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) on Friday along with several of his supporters.The induction took place in the presence of Shiv Sena Chief Leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, as well as Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde. Deputy CM Shinde welcomed all the new entrants into the party and extended his best wishes for their future political and social journey. He also urged everyone to work with unity and enthusiasm for the forthcoming municipal elections.Prominent Shiv Sena leaders including Mahesh Gaikwad, Nilesh Shinde, Mallesh Shetty, along with office-bearers of various local organisations and Shiv Sainiks, were present for the event.Ramesh Jadhav was known to be a staunch supporter of Uddhav Thackeray. Ever since the Shiv Sena split into two factions, he had remained active in the UBT camp. However, his decision to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena just before the KDMC elections is being seen as a major setback for the UBT faction.

ULHASNAGAR: Shock overshadowed celebrations in BJP’s Ulhasnagar unit over the party’s stunning victory in the Bihar assembly elections after six of its former corporators, including three who were regarded as its strongest faces in the city, quit and joined Shiv Sena and its local ally, Team Omie Kalani (TOK), on Friday.The defections ahead of civic polls are being viewed as one of the biggest blows to BJP in Kalyan Lok Sabha region. They are also being described as a turning point for the Kalani family, whose influence in Ulhasnagar politics had weakened two months ago after five of its former corporators crossed over to BJP.

Among the six leaders who switched sides, Kishor Vanvari and Meena Sonde joined Sena, while Jamnu Puraswani, Prakash Makhija, Mahesh Sukhramani and Charlie Parwani joined TOK in the presence of MP Shrinkant Shinde and TOK president Omie Kalani. Three were BJP’s towering figures—Puruswani is a five-time corporator and former deputy mayor, Makhija is a four-time civic standing committee chairman, and Sukhramani held the rank of minister of state in Maharashtra Sahitya Academy.According to insiders, the fragile peace between the Mahayuti allies in the region became more frayed after Ravindra Chavan became the state BJP chief this year. His push to strengthen his party in the Kalyan LS constituency, the Shindes’ stronghold, resulted in many Sena functionaries joining BJP. In response, Shrikant poached BJP functionaries for Sena and TOK.Makhija said senior BJP and Sena leaders are working against each other, which prompted him to quit.Sources said if senior leaders do not intervene in this rivalry between BJP and Sena, it could spill over to other belts.