Another jolt to Uddhav Thackeray faction as its MP Gajanan Kirtikar joins Eknath Shinde camp

In yet another setback for the Uddhav Thackeray's faction of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Lok Sabha MP Gajanan Kirtikar joined chief minister Eknath Shinde's camp - Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena - on Friday, becoming the 13th lower house member to ditch the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) since the June mutiny in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Kirtikar, one of the senior-most Shiv Sena MPs in Lok Sabha, joined the Eknath camp in his presence during an event at Ravindra Natyamandir in Prabhadevi.

“Popular MP of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha Constituency Gajanan Kirtikar officially entered the party today. He was warmly welcomed on the occasion and wished him good luck for future social and political progress,” Shinde tweeted.

Kirtikar, an MP from the Mumbai North West constituency and loyalist of Thackeray, was moved to the Parliamentary standing committee of petroleum and natural gas.

The latest development comes ahead of the elections of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam hit out at Kirtikar describing him as a “burden on the Shiv Sena”.

Gajanan Kirtikar in inactive MP. Voters of North West Mumbai have been searching for him for the last three and a half years, but he never met. Sometimes, he was ill and sometimes he was in Pune. He was a burden on the Shiv Sena. Now, he will be a burden on the Shinde faction as well. The Shiv Sena should not mourn his departure," Nirupam tweeted.

Earlier in the day, former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray joined Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodi Yatra’ in the Hingoli district. Along with Aaditya Thackeray, his party colleagues - leader of the opposition in the legislative council, Ambadas Danve, and former MLA Sachin Ahir - were also seen walking alongside the former Congress chief. During the foot march, Thackeray was seen waving at people assembled along the route.