Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Ahead of the municipal corporation elections, the number of entrants into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has increased in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Raju Shinde, the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate in the recent assembly polls, rejoined the BJP at a function in Mumbai on Tuesday in the presence of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan. Two former corporators and hundreds of their supporters also joined the party. State OBC welfare minister Atul Save, MP Dr Bhagwat Karad, MLC Sanjay Kenekar, district organiser Sanjay Ghodke, city district president Kishor Shitole, district president Sanjay Khambayate, state secretary Kiran Patil, Shirish Boralkar, Anil Makhriya, and local leaders were present.
Shinde had earlier been with the BJP but left to join Shiv Sena (UBT) during the assembly polls. Although the Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded him, he lost to the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) candidate Sanjay Shirsath. Shinde said he quit the UBT Sena due to dissatisfaction with local leaders.
There had been two earlier attempts for Shinde to return to the BJP, but the process was delayed. He formally rejoined the party in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Those who joined the BJP include former Shiv Sena district chief Bharat Rajput; former ZP social welfare chairman Dhanraj Bedwal; Krushi ani Gramin Vikas Pratisthan director Rajesh Shivajirao Bankar; former Soyegaon Congress taluka president Dhananjay Bhaskar Patil; Dr Pundlik Mahalpure; former MLA R M Wani’s son Sachin Wani; Shiv Sena city chief Prakash Chavan; Devidas Wani; Limesh Wani; former corporator Prakash Gaikwad; Gokul Malke; Vasant Pradhan; Satish Patil; Paya Patil and others.
