In further boost to the ruling Shiv Sena ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, sitting Congress MLA Nirmala Gavit on Wednesday joined the Sena in the presence of its president Uddhav Thackeray.
In a development that came four days after former MLA Dhanraj Haribahu Mahale — who had quit the Shiv Sena and joined the NCP and contested the recent Lok Sabha polls — returned to the Sena, Nirmala joined the Shiv Sena.
Welcoming Mrs Gavit into his party, Uddhav said that with Gavit’s entry to the Sena
would strengthen the party in Nashik district of northern Maharashtra.
A sitting Congress MLA from Igatpuri, Nirmala is the daughter of veteran congressman from north Maharashtra.
Nirmala, who had tendered her resignation to State Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade on Tuesday, had said that she was quitting the Congress and resigning as an MLA to ensure development in his constituency.
Nirmala’s entry to the Shiv Sena came amid speculation that the Congress’ former minister and sitting MLA from Indapur Harshvardhan Patil might also join the BJP.
The Shiv Sena and BJP have been poaching leaders from the Congress and NCP in recent months in the run-up to the State Assembly polls.
First, it was NCP’s former minister and once Pawar’s close-confidant Jaydutta Kshirsagar from Beed district in Marathwada who quit the NCP and joined the Shiv Sena on May 22, 2019. later on July 10, sitting MLA from Shahpur Pandurang Barora quit the NCP and entered the Sena. Later, NCP’s Mumbai unit president Sachin Ahir quit the party and joined the ruling Shiv Sena on July 25.
Subsequently, former MLA Dhanraj Haribahu Mahale — who had quit the Shiv Sena and joined the Sharad Pawar-led party and contested the recent Lok Sabha polls from Dindori constituency — had returned to the Sena on Friday.
The Sena might field him as its candidate from Dindor in the State Assembly polls.
Similarly, the NCP’s three sitting MLAs Shivrajendra Bhosale (Satara), Vaibhav Pichad (Akole in Ahmednagar district) and Sandeep Naik (Airoli in Navi Mumbai) and Congress’ sitting MLA Kalidas Kolumbar (Wadala in south-central Mumbai) joined the BJP on July 31, 2019.
Apart from four sitting Opposition MLAs, NCP’s former state NCP president and Sharad Pawar’s erstwhile confidant Madhukar Pichad, Navi Mumbai’s former Mayor Sagar Naik, NCP’s former NCP women president Chitra Wagh, retired IAS officer Sahebrao Patil and social reformer Mahatma Phule’s descendant Neeta Hole had also joined the BJP.