Mumbai: In a jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), former MLA and loyalist Dagdu Sakpal joined the Eknath Shinde-headed Shiv Sena on Sunday, January 11, ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) polls 2026. Sakpal had served as an MLA multiple times from Mumbai's Lalbaug-Parel-Sewree belt, a stronghold of the Thackerays for more than five decades.
A former MLA joining the Shiv Sena ahead of the civic body polls comes as a boost to Shinde, who has been making efforts to penetrate the Thackeray stronghold. According to the PTI report, Shinde, last week, met Sakpal, leading to speculation that he could switch loyalties.
Earlier, on January 6, several key leaders of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joined Shinde's Sena and the BJP. The change in party raised questions about an internal rift within the MNS regarding its alliance with the Sena UBT.
The MNS leaders who joined the Shinde faction include former General Secretary Rajabhau Chaulgule, spokesperson Hemant Kamble, General Secretary of MNS Film Sena Rahul Tuplondhe, Sandesh Shetty of Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, and others, such as Munawar Sheikh, Adv. Devashish Mark, Prathamesh Bandekar, and Santosh Yadav.
In addition to this, MNS leader Santosh Dhuri, who joined the BJP, alleged that Raj Thackeray-led party overlooked its loyal members while ceding key wards to Sena (UBT) in the seat-sharing deal. Dhuri was a strong contender for the MNS ticket from ward no 194 in the Mahim assembly constituency, however, the seat was given to the Sena UBT. He also alleged that "Raj saheb has surrendered his party to Uddhav Thackeray."
Moreover, just a few days back, 12 suspended Congress corporators from Maharashtra's Ambernath municipal council joined the BJP ahead of BMC elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray accused the BJP of indulging in "dirty and communal politics", claiming that the party has failed to address key public issues.
Polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.
(With inputs from PTI)
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