Mumbai: Former labour-leader and long-time union chief Suhas Samant has quit the Shiv Sena (UBT) which is led by Uddhav Thackeray, and on Tuesday formally joined the faction of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).
Samant’s decision comes shortly after his union’s defeat in the recent elections of the BEST Kamgar Sena/credit society panel, which he described as a personal and political setback. He asserted that he had been forced to resign following that defeat and claimed that his loyalty to the Uddhav Thackeray faction had been taken for granted.
At a gathering in Dadar, Samant entered the Shinde faction alongside some of his supporters, and was reportedly offered a deputy-leadership position in his new faction. He publicly expressed that his 51-year career in politics and labour activism felt nullified in one moment, saying that despite decades of service he was left with a “zero” following the defeat.
Analysts say Samant’s move is being viewed as another blow to the Thackeray faction’s strength within the Mumbai labour and civic body circles, at a time when the Shinde faction is actively consolidating support ahead of city-level elections, according to reports Loksatta.
In response, the Shinde factionwelcomed Samant’s entry and pledged to use his experience to revitalise the union and improve the welfare of workers in the transport-and-electric-supply sector.
Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray faction is assessing the implications of the departure and the morale of its cadre. The shifting alliances reflect the broader and ongoing political realignments in Maharashtra’s civic and labour arenas.
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