The Shiv Sena (UBT) has suffered another political setback after senior leader Sachin Ahir switched sides to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, deepening the ongoing power struggle within the party that began with the 2022 split.
Ahir, a former Maharashtra minister and a key leader from the Uddhav Thackeray camp, filed his nomination for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council as a Mahayuti candidate. He was considered a close associate of Aaditya Thackeray and was among the prominent faces who continued to back Uddhav Thackeray after the party's internal rebellion.
The latest defection comes against the backdrop of a series of political exits that have reshaped the Shiv Sena.
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The crisis began in June 2022 when Eknath Shinde, along with several MLAs, rebelled against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and moved first to Surat and later Guwahati. On June 25, 2022, the Thackeray faction issued disqualification notices against the rebel legislators. The rebellion eventually led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, with Shinde taking oath as Chief Minister with BJP support.
The Election Commission later recognised the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena, while the Uddhav-led group continued as Shiv Sena (UBT). Ahir's move follows the recent shift of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs towards the Shinde-led faction, adding further pressure on the opposition camp.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and allies, has nominated Ahir for the Deputy Chairman's post, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi has fielded MLC Jagannath Abhyankar.
The latest crossover signals another change in Maharashtra's political equations ahead of future electoral battles.
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