Mumbai: Former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Rajan Salvi on Saturday met Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray amid reports of him quitting the party to join the BJP or the Eknath Shinde-led Sena. On Friday, Salvi said that he would take the right decision at the right time, indicating that he could leave the Sena (UBT). In the state assembly polls, Salvi lost from Rajapur to Sena’s Kiran Samant. “I am definitely upset and angry about my defeat. I have conveyed my feelings of displeasure to Uddhav Thackeray. I have also conveyed the feelings of the workers to Uddhav Thackeray. He listened to me,” Salvi said after visiting Matoshree, the Thackeray family residence.
Salvi has blamed senior party functionaries for his defeat from Rajapur. Political observers said Uddhav is making a last attempt to convince Salvi not to jump the ship, as Salvi’s exit will dent the already hard-hit Sena (UBT) in the Konkan region.
“For the past few days, there have been various discussions regarding my exit. Against this backdrop, the workers urged me to interact with them. I interacted with the office-bearers and workers at Rajapur. Then everyone expressed their feelings that injustice has been done to me. Many groups are responsible for my defeat. Also, the workers expressed their feelings that you should make the right decision. I also told them that I will make the right decision at the right time. Some senior functionaries are responsible for my defeat. I do not want to name them today. However, it is necessary to find out who they are. Today, a mountain of sorrow has come upon the party and me. It is necessary to find out who is responsible for this,” Salvi said.
In 2023, Salvi was under the ACB investigation for disproportionate assets. Salvi’s wife, elder brother, and sister-in-law were issued notices and summoned by the ACB for questioning.