Following the release of the final list comprising 10 nominees from different political parties for the University of Mumbai (MU) Senate election's registered graduate cohort on Friday evening, a noticeable shift transpired. Praveen Patkar, once a Senate representative for the Yuva Sena (UBT), migrated to the Shinde faction's fold, Hindustan Times reported. This move mirrored a similar transition made by Vaibhav Thorat, another erstwhile Senate member, who allied with the Shinde faction the last month.
Patkar and Thorat are potential contenders for the upcoming Senate election within the graduate constituency, aligned with the Shinde faction. Up until the point where the University of Mumbai (MU) opted to suspend its participation in the Senate election until further notice, the Shinde faction had abstained from announcing any candidates.
In a late-night announcement on Thursday, the university revealed its decision to postpone the scheduled September 10 Senate election for registered graduate groups. This move triggered significant discontent among the student wings of various political parties. The university's decision was triggered by allegations made by BJP leader Ashish Shelar, who claimed discrepancies in the voter list.
In accordance with the prior timeline, Friday marked the deadline for the submission of application forms by graduate group candidates. Both the Yuva Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) unveiled a roster of 10 candidates each for the available 10 seats. Following the announcement of this list, it became evident that Patkar's name was missing. Disheartened by this omission, he opted to disassociate himself from the Yuva Sena (UBT).
In the presence of MP Shrikant Shinde, Patkar made his decision to align with Shinde's party, stating, "I chose to join the Shinde-led Yuva Sena due to my dissatisfaction with the operational ethos of both Yuva Sena and Sena (UBT). My intent is to contribute to the betterment of MU students." Patkar previously held the position of an elected graduate senator from 2017 to 2022 and actively advocated for resolving technological issues within MU.
A member of the Shinde-led Yuva Sena remarked, "Several more individuals associated with Yuva Sena (UBT) have expressed an interest in affiliating themselves with Shinde-led Shiv Sena. A significant number of young Shiv Sena (UBT) members have already joined our party, drawn by the prospects it offers."
In contrast, Pradeep Sawant, a member of Yuva Sena (UBT), responded, "Patkar's association with Yuva Sena (UBT) commenced only in 2010. A party member who has been closely acquainted with Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray, and Aaditya Thackeray since childhood typically remains steadfast within the party. We possess a steadfast group of committed Yuva Sena members."
