Shiv Sena (UBT) Faces Setback As First Woman BMC Corporator Sarita Mhaske Appears To Join Shinde Faction

Mumbai: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) suffered a significant political setback in Mumbai on Wednesday after its first woman corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reportedly defected to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The development comes close on the heels of a similar blow in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, where four corporators of the UBT faction are believed to have switched sides.

Election Background

Sarita Mhaske, the Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator from Ward No. 157, which includes parts of Chandivali and Powai, has been out of contact for the past two days and is widely believed to be extending support to the Shinde faction. Mhaske had won the BMC election by defeating BJP candidate Asha Tayade by a margin of 1,803 votes. She secured 14,749 votes, while Tayade polled 12,946 votes.

Ahead of the group registration process with the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership had contacted all its corporators on Tuesday, directing them to attend a meeting at Shiv Sena Bhavan on Wednesday with original documents. However, Mhaske and her husband remained unreachable throughout Tuesday, prompting party leaders to try contacting her close aides as well. By Wednesday afternoon, with no response from Mhaske, the Thackeray faction proceeded to register its group with 64 corporators.

Leadership Appointment

Former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar was unanimously appointed as the group leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) during the party meeting, and her name was formally approved.

Following reports of Mhaske aligning with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Thackeray faction has initiated steps to seek her disqualification. Currently, the UBT faction has 65 elected corporators in Mumbai. If Mhaske’s defection is formalised, the party’s strength in the BMC will effectively come down to 64.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab sought to downplay the crisis, stating that the party still has time to complete group registration. “Sarita is in contact with us. There are 25 more days to register the group with the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, and her name can be added at any time during this period. She had informed us about her absence, and we have conveyed the reason to the divisional commissioner,” Parab told the media.

However, a senior corporator from the Thackeray faction expressed concern, saying, “Sarita was not present when we registered our group and has been unreachable since Tuesday. If she decides to change parties, it would amount to betraying the voters who elected her by defeating the BJP candidate.”

Legal Perspective

BJP leader and former opposition leader in BMC, Ravi Raja, meanwhile, informed as an expert that the anti-defection law would not apply in this case. “Sarita Mhaske has not registered herself as part of the Shiv Sena (UBT) group before the divisional commissioner. Therefore, the anti-defection law does not apply to her, her position as corporator will remain intact, and the UBT faction cannot take action if she supports another party,” he said.

The political churn is not limited to Mumbai. In the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, four out of 11 Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators are reported to have defected and are likely to back the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Adding to the momentum, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also decided to support the Shinde faction and join the ruling alliance.

With the mayoral race intensifying in Mumbai, both the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena are actively attempting to woo corporators from rival parties, making the coming days crucial for the balance of power in the BMC.

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