Sachin Ahir Scores Quick Victory in Maharashtra Poll Day After After Switching from Uddhav Sena to Shinde Camp

Mumbai: In a fresh blow to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, former party Legislative Council member Sachin Ahir secured a significant victory in a key Maharashtra poll on Wednesday, just a day after dramatically switching sides to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Ahir’s defection and subsequent win mark the latest success in what insiders are calling the continuing momentum of “Operation Tiger,” the campaign to bring Uddhav-loyalists into the Shinde fold. His joining was kept under wraps by Shinde until the very end, with his nomination papers filed at the last minute in a high-profile show of strength. The filing was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil, and Neelam Gorhe.

Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination on Tuesday, Ahir expressed commitment to his new role.

“I will honestly shoulder the responsibility given to me by Eknath Shinde. I will try to bring together people of all sections of society and do justice to them,” he said.

The development comes on the heels of a major exodus last week, when six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs — Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar — formally joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The defections have significantly eroded Uddhav Thackeray’s parliamentary strength and deepened the rift stemming from the 2022 split in the party.

Uddhav Thackeray, addressing a large rally in Dharashiv on Sunday, lashed out at the political churn in Maharashtra. “Why are they breaking the Shiv Sena? They want to finish Maharashtra, finish Shiv Sena, and finish Maharashtra Dharma,” he said. He also accused the ruling dispensation of failing to attract investments to the state, claiming companies were being diverted to Gujarat. Thackeray emphasised the ideological legacy of his father, Balasaheb Thackeray, stating that “Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena cannot be measured by the number of MLAs and MPs.”

In response to the latest defections, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut issued a strong challenge to the rebels.

“If you want to commit treachery, then resign, stand for election again, and then you will see whether the people of Yavatmal-Washim are with the traitors or with the loyalists,” Raut said. He asserted that the party would “rise from the ashes” and retain its influence in Maharashtra despite the setbacks.