Mumbai: Former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Rajan Salvi on Wednesday resigned as the deputy leader of the party citing “prevailing circumstances” in his Rajapur constituency in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district.
There is wide speculation that Salvi would join Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. If Salvi quits his party, it will be a blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-Sena (UBT) in the state’s coastal Konkan region, which was once its stronghold.
Salvi had lost to Shiv Sena’s Kiran Samant in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly polls. Since then, he has openly aired his discontent against local Sena (UBT) leaders, accusing them of being responsible for his defeat.
Sena (UBT) has several functionaries with the designation of 'deputy leader'. In a letter to Thackeray on Wednesday, Salvi said he takes moral responsibility for his defeat in the assembly polls. Sena (UBT) had a poor showing in the elections winning only 20 of the 288 assembly seats in the state, while the Shinde Sena bagged 57 seats.
“In the prevailing circumstances and amid the internal politics within the organisation, I won't be able to do justice to my post. Accepting moral responsibility for my defeat, I am resigning as the deputy leader of the party,” he wrote in the letter. Despite repeated attempts, Salvi was unavailable for comment.
Asked whether Salvi was headed for his party, Shinde said, “Those who want to join are welcome because, in the last two and a half years, many MPs, MLAs and corporators have joined the Sena which runs on the ideals of Bal Thackeray.”
Slamming Salvi, Sena (UBT) secretary and former MP Vinayak Raut said he wanted to join the BJP after his election defeat but the party refused to accept him. Salvi joining Shinde’s Sena is an attempt to check the influence of Rajapur MLA Kiran Samant and his minister brother Uday Samant, he claimed.
