Navi Mumbai: In a significant political development on Tuesday, thirteen former corporators from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) formally joined Eknath Shinde‘s Shiv Sena faction at a Vashi event. Deputy Chief Minister Shinde personally welcomed the new members, marking a considerable setback for Shiv Sena-UBT, which lost several key leaders.
The political realignment affected multiple parties, with NCP-SP and Congress also losing local leaders to Shinde’s group. Kishore Patkar, who heads the Navi Mumbai District Shiv Sena, confirmed that their party now comprises more than 50 former corporators from the 111-member NMMC House.
Notable figures who changed allegiance include Avinash Lad, former Navi Mumbai Deputy Mayor, Congress member Ankush Sonawane, NCP-SP’s Vaibhav and Divya Gaikwad, and Sena-UBT’s Somnath and Komal Vaskar. Lad expressed admiration for Shinde’s leadership style and anticipated significant responsibilities in his new party.
Shinde expressed satisfaction with the influx of former corporators, predicting a decisive victory in upcoming civic elections. He also addressed the Pahalgam terrorist attacks that claimed 28 tourist lives. “We will have more opposition members in our party in the coming days. Leaders are joining me for my developmental work,” said Shinde.