In Big Jolt To Uddhav Camp, Aaditya Thackeray's Aide To Join Team Shinde

In another setback for Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Aaditya Thackeray's close aide Rahul Kanal is set to join the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday.

Mr Kanal will be switching sides the same day Aaditya Thackeray will be leading a protest march against the alleged corruption in the Mumbai civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC.

Mr Kanal, who was a very active member of Yuva Sena - the youth wing of Shiv Sena led by Aaditya Thackeray - has already quit its core committee as he was upset with the functioning of the group.

Yesterday, Mr Kanal expressed his disappointment over Twitter after the Shiv Sena suspended all office-bearers of the Yuva Sena from Bandra West, including him. "Feeling sad!!!" he tweeted.

Feeling Sad !!! Very well know who has done this but removing people who have worked for you without a hearing is arrogance and you could remove me but not the people who have worked day and night yet Chalo acha hai sabko pata chale ke Ego Aur arrogance kya hota hai !!! pic.twitter.com/JFlB9uZjUU

— Rrahul Narain Kanal (@Iamrahulkanal) June 30, 2023

"Very well know who has done this but removing people who have worked for you without a hearing is arrogance and you could remove me but not the people who have worked day and night yet," he wrote.

In the past, Mr Kanal was appointed as a trustee of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST) - a temple trust of Sai Baba in Shirdi. He was also a member of the education committee of the BMC in 2017.

His crossover is the latest in the string of exits from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. Earlier this month, MLC Manisha Kayande joined team Shinde alleging that Uddhav Thackeray is inaccessible for receiving feedback on the party affairs. A day ahead of her switch, senior leader Shishir Shinde also resigned from the party.

The Shiv Sena split in June last year after the rebellion of Mr Shinde against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the party name and 'bow and arrow' symbol was allotted to the former. The Thackeray faction was then given a new name - Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).