Thane: In a significant political development ahead of the Thane Municipal Corporation election, seven former corporators from the NCP (SP), all close associates of MLA Jitendra Awhad, switched allegiance to the Shiv Sena on Thursday. The induction took place in Mumbai in the presence of Shiv Sena chief and Dy CM Eknath Shinde. The group includes former opposition leader Milind Patil and six others from the Kalwa-Parsik area, a key NCP (SP) stronghold.Kalwa ward, with 16 seats, previously had a 9:7 tally favouring NCP (SP), with the rest aligned with the Shiv Sena. With one NCP (SP) corporator already joining the Shiv Sena earlier and another announcing retirement, Thursday’s move effectively gives the Shiv Sena a majority in the ward.Observers say this realignment may not only weaken Awhad’s grip on the ward, which is part of his assembly constituency, but also bolster Shiv Sena’s standing ahead of the civic polls.The inductions also give the Shiv Sena an edge over the BJP, which was eyeing recruitment in the region to improve its position in the Thane civic house. Currently, 78 of 135 former corporators from across parties in Thane and suburbs are now associated with the Shiv Sena. Kalwa’s strategic importance, lying within the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat represented by Shinde’s son, MP Shrikant Shinde, makes the defections a major win for the Shiv Sena as it consolidates control over both local and parliamentary segments in the region.Even as no specific reasons were cited by the new entrants, observers hint that better election prospects and access to development funds may have motivated their shift. The Shiv Sena credited their party’s 24×7 commitment towards the development of the state and Shinde’s leadership as reasons behind growing support. “This is not just about elections — many leaders want to work with us daily,” Shinde said, hinting at more inductions soon.