The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena continues to bleed due to ‘Operation Tiger’ after Sindhudurg district Sena chief Sanjay Padte resigned from his post on Tuesday. Padte’s resignation is being seen as a significant blow to former UBT MLA Vaibhav Naik.
In his resignation letter, Padte mentioned, “I have always worked for Shiv Sena with integrity and dedication, but due to internal party matters, I am unable to continue my work. Therefore, I am resigning from my position as district president of Shiv Sena.” Padte has been active as a Shiv Sainik since 1985.
The Konkan region was once considered a stronghold of Shiv Sena, with Uddhav Thackeray having a special affection for the area. However, after the split in Shiv Sena, the UBT has witnessed a significant exodus. Apart from Bhaskar Jadhav, the MLA from Guhagar, and former MLA Vaibhav Naik from Kudal, nearly all of Thackeray’s key leaders have joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena or the BJP.
On Monday, another UBT leader Jitendra Janawale resigned from the party. He was the Vile Parle sub-division chief of the Thackeray-led Sena until recently and he will join the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on February 20, sources said.
Recently, former Rajapur MLA Rajan Salvi joined Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
There are also reports of dissatisfaction among prominent leaders Bhaskar Jadhav and Vaibhav Naik. While Bhaskar Jadhav had publicly stated on Monday that he would not leave Uddhav Thackeray’s side, on Tuesday, Minister Sanjay Shirsat mentioned that both Naik and Jadhav would eventually join their party. To address the ongoing defections, the Thackeray faction has called for meetings with MPs on February 20 and with MLAs on February 25, where Thackeray will provide guidance. When asked about the defections, Shirsat remarked, “Uddhav Thackeray may hold a meeting, but we know how many MPs he has, and several of them are often absent. As Rajan Salvi said earlier that he wouldn’t join, but he did. Now, Vaibhav Naik and Bhaskar Jadhav will join too.”
