Uddhav Jolted as Loyalist Quits Party to Possibly Join Shinde

DyCM's move to induct Rajan Salvi is an attempt to create a parallel leadership in Ratnagiri to Uday Samant, say experts

- Yogesh Naik

MUMBAI: In yet another jolt to Uddhav Thackeray, Rajan Salvi, a senior leader from the Shiv Sena (UBT), quit the party on Wednesday. He is likely to join the Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday or Friday.

Salvi, a former MLA from Rajapur, lost in the recent assembly elections to the Shiv Sena's Kiran Samant. He had recently met Uddhav Thackeray to complain that the interference of Vinayak Raut, who is in charge of the party's affairs in Konkan, was responsible for his defeat. Thackeray, however, rebuffed him.

On Wednesday, Salvi sent a letter to Thackeray, where he said that accepting responsibility for his defeat in the elections, he was resigning as the party's deputy leader. He is expected to meet Shinde in Mumbai on Wednesday evening to discuss his joining the Shiv Sena.

Shinde's move to get Salvi in his party is also seen as his effort to create a parallel leadership in Ratnagiri to industries minister Uday Samant, who has been getting cosy with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.