BJP gains strength in Parbhani

Mumbai: While the Shiv Sena (UBT) is trying to flex muscles by opposing the Waqf amendment bill in the parliament, the party has seen consistent ‘outgoing’ in Marathwada region and its arch rival BJP has gained strength in Parbhani, where leaders from both, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) joined the BJP on Tuesday.

Prominent among those who joined the BJP in Parbhani on Tuesday include Purna APMC secretary Balaji Khaire, former secretary of Pathari Panchayat Samiti Arun Kolhe and PDCC director Balaji Desai. These leaders were followed by 60 chairpersons of multipurpose primary agriculture cooperative societies and 40 Sarpanchs in the district. This shall strengthen the party at the grass root level, said the minister for state Meghana Bordikar in whose presence these members joined the party.

On the other hand, however, the local leaders are seen leaving the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Marathwada region.

While the Shiv Sena (UBT) had wooed some of the disgruntled leaders from other parties ahead of the assembly polls last year in some of the districts of Marathwada, in other districts it had lent support to loyal grass root leaders who chose to be with the party even while a large majority of them went with Eknath Shinde during the rebellion three years ago.

In the last few months, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has seen consistant outgoing in Sambhaji Nagar, Jalana and Parbhani district weakening the region which was once the stronghold of the party.

The Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde demonstrated a very good performance in Sambhaji Nagar district winning Six assembly seats and a parliamentary seat.

This led to most of the former corporators, former mayors and other office bearers to switch over to the party under Shinde. On the other hand, all the disgruntled BJP leaders whom the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership bestowed with candidature in assembly election, preferred to switch back to their original party post results. Suresh Bankar and Dineshsinh Pardeshi were quick to return to the party while Raju Shinde still appears to be in two minds about returning to the BJP though he has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be with the Shiv Sena (UBT) anymore.

While the ‘imported’ leaders deserted the UBT in Sambhaji Nagar, in Parbhani, Jalna and Dharashiv the old ‘loyalists’ who were given party tickets in assembly, chose to align with DCM Eknath Shinde over past quarter. Prominent among them are A J Borade from Partur in Jalna district and Vishal Kadam in Gangakhed constituency.

In short, though the UBT tested success in some places of Marathwada region, its losses are heavy and leaders continue to desert the party adding to their difficulties ahead of the local body elections later this year.