Shiv Sena (UBT) has suffered another major setback in Maharashtra politics. Sachin Ahir, considered closest to Aditya Thackeray and member of the Legislative Council, changed sides and joined the Shiv Sena of the Eknath Shinde faction. Are. As soon as Ahir joined the Shinde faction, he also filed his nomination for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council.
During the nomination, along with Sachin Ahir, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar along with Shiv Sena MLA and BJP minister Chandrakant Patil were also present.
‘Operation Tiger-3’
This step of Sachin Ahir has also intensified the political stir in Shiv Sena (UBT). In Maharashtra politics, this step is being seen as ‘Operation Tiger-3’, in which the Shinde faction claims that many MLAs of the Uddhav camp will change sides.
Who is Sachin Ahir?
Sachin Ahir has been a three-time Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from Mumbai’s Shivri and Worli assembly seats. During this period, he also worked as Minister of State for Housing in the state government. Before the 2019 assembly elections, he left NCP and joined the then undivided Shiv Sena. The party gave him membership of the Legislative Council.
After this, in the 2019 and 2024 assembly elections, he played an important role in the election campaign of Aditya Thackeray on Worli seat and made an important contribution in helping him win. For this reason, he is considered among the leaders close to Aditya Thackeray.
Preparations to break into Aditya Thackeray’s stronghold
There is talk in the political circles that by making Sachin Ahir the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council, Eknath Shinde is working on a strategy to further strengthen him in the Worli Assembly constituency. There is still about three years time for the next assembly elections. It is believed that this step has been taken as part of the strategy to politically challenge Aditya Thackeray in Worli and corner him in his own stronghold.
Sachin Ahir, who has been MLA from Worli twice, is considered to have a strong support base in the area. In such a situation, political analysts believe that if circumstances arise in the future, then a direct contest can be seen between Aditya Thackeray and Sachin Ahir on the Worli seat in the 2029 assembly elections. However, no official announcement has been made by any party regarding this yet.
‘More MLAs will switch sides’
Shinde group MLA Mahendra Dalvi called it a big personal and political blow for Aditya Thackeray. Dalvi claimed that Mahayuti’s ‘Operation Tiger-3’ has now started and many MLAs from the Uddhav camp will join Eknath Shinde in the coming days.
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