Sachin Ahir, once considered Aaditya Thackeray's closest aide, was unanimously elected Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Tuesday, a day after defecting from the Shiv Sena (UBT) to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) had initially fielded Jagannath Shinde for the post, but the government appealed for an uncontested election citing parliamentary tradition, following which the Opposition withdrew its candidate, paving the way for Ahir's unanimous election, according to IANS.
Raut Slams Ahir's Switch
Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on Ahir, questioning his loyalty to the party.
"Sachin Ahir has received everything from the party. He was made an MLC and made the deputy leader of the party. There is something called integrity in politics and personal life. He has been a very special person to Aaditya Thackeray... But political hunger has grown so much that integrity and loyalty have no value left." Raut told ANI.
"Whether there are 14 MLAs, 15, or 16, such rumours keep flying around. We understand that all MLAs are loyal to the party. Eknath Shinde has stolen the party; the party is not his," he added.
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra | On Sachin Ahir joining the Shiv Sena's Shinde faction, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "Sachin Ahir has received everything from the party. He was made an MLC and made the deputy leader of the party... There is something called integrity in… pic.twitter.com/zUGiOYhO0G
— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2026
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Who Is Sachin Ahir?
Ahir's political journey has taken him through the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the undivided Shiv Sena before his recent switch to the Shinde camp. He was elected to the Legislative Council in 2022, the same year Shinde broke away from the undivided Shiv Sena to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
His departure from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction is being viewed as a significant setback for the party, given his long-standing proximity to Aaditya Thackeray and his role in Mumbai's Worli constituency.
Ahir's election to the Deputy Chairman's post comes at a time of continuing churn within the Shiv Sena (UBT), which has in recent months seen several of its legislators shift allegiance to the Shinde faction, further consolidating the ruling Mahayuti alliance's position in the state legislature.
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