Mumbai: The Shiv Sena has sent a strong message that it was prepared to sacrifice but won’t neglect its allies and supporters in power sharing. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray gave ministerial berths to Shankarrao Gadakh, Bacchu Kadu (in pic) and Rajendra Yadravkar who had won the poll as independents and extended their support immediately after the results were declared on October 24.
Thackeray has managed to convince party legislators not to press for ministerial berth so that he could accommodate independents and allies.
Gadakh was elected from Nevasa constituency in the cooperative-rich Ahmednagar district from the Krantikari Shetkari Paksha which he formed ahead of the assembly election.
Krantikari Paksha now has 5 Ahmednagar Zilla Parishad members, 12 Nevasa Panchayat Samiti members and 9 councillors in Nevasa. Gadakh’s father Yashwantrao was a former NCP leader.
Kadu, who is the leader of Prahar Janshakti Party, is an independent Member of the Legislative Assembly from Achalpur. He has been elected to the state assembly for four consecutive elections from 2004 to 2019.
He is the first candidate to achieve this feat in the Achalpur Assembly elections. Kadu has been vocal on issues related to farmers, unemployed youths and disabled persons.
Kadu had also extended his support to the Shiv Sena during the government formation. He had courted controversies in the past. In December 2006, in the ‘Sholay’-style agitation, Kadu had attempted to draw the attention of the central government to Vidarbha farmers’ suicides.
In January 2011, Kadu had slapped a Health Ministry clerk, Chandravdan Hagavane and in April 2017 he had allegedly criticised BJP MP Hema Malini. Recently, in 2019, Kadu entered a bank premises along with his supporters and threatened and abused a manager.
Notwithstanding these controversies, Thackeray has made him a minister of state considering his work in agriculture and social sectors.
Further, Yadravkar, an Independent MLA from Shirol, had pledged his support to the Sena. He has been inducted as a minister of state. Yadravkar comes from the sugarcane and milk-rich Kolhapur district. Yadravkar had defeated Sena legislator from Ulhas Patil.
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