Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and group leader Bhaskar Jadhav said on Tuesday that the party has almost turned into the Congress party.
Jadhav, while speaking to office bearers, mentioned that if the duration of posts such as of shakha pramukhs is fixed, only then will they compete to work within that period. “Instead, now our party has almost become the Congress. It hurts to say this,” Jadhav said, adding that earlier whenever there was a Shiv Sena programme in a village, the shakha pramukhs of that village would be involved.
“Today, take a look at who the shakha pramukhs are, how many of them are there, and where are they? Some office bearers sat comfortably in one place for 10-15 years. They have the impression that no one can touch my post. If I serve the will of some leader, my post is intact, where are these shakha pramukhs?” Jadhav said.
Jadhav’s comments come as a setback for Sena (UBT), which now faces a challenge to keep the cadre intact ahead of local body polls and prevent an exodus after the drubbing in the state assembly polls.
Last Nov, 20 newly elected Sena (UBT) MLAs elected Aaditya Thackeray as legislative party leader. Jadhav was appointed as group leader of the legislative assembly, and MLA Sunil Prabhu was appointed as the whip of the legislative assembly.
“There is massive disgruntlement in the party. After the poll debacle, no steps were taken to reorganise the office bearers and party structure. The same netas are still calling the shots, and nothing changed. The party is certainly facing an exodus in Konkan region, which used to be a bastion earlier. Now we don’t have a single MP and only a couple of MLAs from there. Many losing candidates who were MLAs before complained to the top brass but with little or no change in the party policy,” said a UBT functionary.
Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Saturday his party would contest local body elections independently, signalling a significant shift in strategy for municipal polls.
