Nine Shiv Sena (UBT) councillors and one Congress councillor joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday. The ten councillors handed the BJP a clear majority in the Maharashtra's 20-member Kalamb Municipal Council in Dharashiv district.
The defections increased the BJP's strength from six to 16 councillors, effectively leaving the municipal council without an opposition. The remaining four councillors are aligned with the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
ALSO READ: Samsung Plans To Return Up To $79 Billion To Shareholders
The councillors formally joined the BJP in Solapur in the presence of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, minister Jaykumar Gore, former MLA Sujitsinh Thakur and other senior party leaders. In the Kalamb municipal body, the BJP had six elected councillors.
Those who joined the BJP include group leader Sanjay Mundada, Sagar Munde, Safura Shakeel Qazi, Jameel Mohammad Khatik, Indumati Jaynandan Housalmal, Rukhsana Chandsab Bagwan, Vanmala Shankar Waghmare, Asha Sudhir Bhanwar, Jyoti Deepak Harkar and Congress councillor Archana Pratap More.
The councillors cited their confidence in the BJP's development-oriented leadership as one of the key reasons behind their decision. They said joining the ruling party would help them secure greater funding from the state and central governments for roads, water supply, sanitation and healthcare projects in Kalamb.
Group leader Sanjay Mundada said the councillors were influenced by development initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. They also expressed support for BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsinha Patil, whose development work they said encouraged their decision to switch parties, as per TOI.
The political shift could strengthen the BJP's organisational position in Dharashiv district. With the latest defections, the Kalamb civic body has effectively lost its formal opposition, giving the BJP significant control over its functioning.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.