In a fresh setback to Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, party spokesperson and former Mumbai corporator Sheetal Mhatre crossed over to the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction on Tuesday. A few days ago, corporators from Navi Mumbai and Thane had also joined the Shinde camp.
The crucial elections for the Sena-controlled BMC are slated to be held in the next few months. Mhatre is the first former corporator of Shiv Sena from Mumbai who has openly announced support for Shinde. She had represented ward no 7 in suburban Dahisar in north Mumbai in 2012 and 2017.
On Tuesday night, Mhatre, along with a few Shiv Sena workers, visited Shinde’s residence Nandanvan and expressed her support to him. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena had appointed Mhatre as the ‘sampark sanghatak’ (coordinator) for the Alibaug-Pen area.
Mhatre was a two-time corporator from Dahisar. In 2012 and 2017, she won the corporation election from Dahisar. The Sena had also given her chairmanship of the education and law committees of the BMC
