Another SS (UBT) Leader Upset over Party Leaders Working Against Own Candidates
Mr. Jadhav is the only candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT) to have won the assembly election from the Konkan region, known to be a stronghold of the undivided Shiv Sena.
Mumbai: Yet another Shiv Sena (UBT) leader expressed his dissatisfaction over the party affairs. Bhaskar Jadhav, SS (UBT)’s leader in the legislative assembly, on Saturday said that despite his long experience, he has not got his dues. He also lamented that the people who quit the party are labelled as traitors, but no action is taken against people working against their own party candidates.
Mr. Jadhav made the comments a day after former MLA Rajan Salvi from Ratnagiri joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Sources informed that Mr. Jadhav has issues with former MP Vinayak Raut, because of whom Mr. Salvi has also left the party. Mr. Jadhav is understood to have aired his grievances with the party leadership regarding his differences with the former Lok Sabha member.
Mr. Jadhav is the only candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT) to have won the assembly election from the Konkan region, known to be a stronghold of the undivided Shiv Sena. He won from the Guhagar assembly seat in a close contest. His victory margin came down from 26,451 in 2019 to only 2,830 votes in 2024.
“Some leaders and party functionaries do create nuisance for their own candidates (during polls). I have also experienced it. My stand has been that if the victory is due to me then this principle should also apply in case of the defeat. We dub people who quit the party as traitors, but what about the leaders who create nuisance. In my opinion, the leaders who work against their own party candidates are traitors. Such complaints will keep rising till the time you deal with the traitors,” Mr Jadhav, who won the fourth consecutive election from the Guhagar seat, said.
Responding to Mr Jadhav’s comments, Sanjay Raut said the party will address concerns of all its leaders. “We had a conversation with him yesterday and we are meeting him today. We will discuss whatever grievances that are there,” Sanjay Raut said.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has continued to face defections ever since Eknath Shinde orchestrated a vertical split in June 2022. On Saturday, Mr. Thackeray expelled three party office bearers in the Ratnagiri district for alleged anti-party activities. According to the statement issued by the party, Rajendra Mahadik (deputy incharge of Ratnagiri), Vilas Chalke (district chief) and Rohan Bane (Sangameshwar-Chiplun Assembly in-charge) have been expelled from the party.
Mr. Thackeray had reportedly summoned Vinayak Raut to ‘Matoshree’ over the escalating tensions in the party in the Konkan region. Vinayak Raut convinced the party chief that some leaders were involved in the anti-party activities and they will hurt Shiv Sena (UBT) in the upcoming elections.
