Mumbai: Giving a fresh jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), its MLC Sachin Ahir was elected unopposed as the Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Wednesday as the ruling Mahayuti's candidate.
Ahir, who filed his nomination just a day earlier as the ruling alliance's candidate, is the latest prize catch in Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's aggressive political offensive, dubbed "Operation Tiger", against the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
The election process concluded smoothly after the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance withdrew its candidate, Jagannath Abhyankar, who had also been fielded by the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Responding to an appeal by Legislative Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Anil Parab announced that the opposition was withdrawing Abhyankar's candidature.
Ahir, considered a trusted aide of Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, sprang a surprise on Tuesday by filing his nomination for the Deputy Chairman's post as the ruling Shiv Sena's candidate.
The development came just a week after six rebel Lok Sabha MPs from the Sena (UBT) joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, a key constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which also includes the BJP and the NCP.
Following Ahir's election, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis moved a motion in the House congratulating him and recalled that both he and Ahir became MLAs for the first time in 1999.
Eknath Shinde said that after Neelam Gorhe, Ahir is the second Shiv Sainik to hold the post of Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council.
Gorhe, who served as the Deputy Chairperson for seven years, said she was happy that Shinde had nominated Ahir for the post.
In his response, Ahir said that even if political equations have changed, his bond with the common people, workers and Maharashtra would remain forever.
Taking a dig at Gorhe, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab said Ahir's nomination had "run a bulldozer over several people's dreams."
Meanwhile, police personnel have been deployed outside Ahir's residence at the Goolrukh Building in Worli, an official said on Wednesday.
Supporters have started visiting Ahir following his nomination on Tuesday, necessitating the deployment of police personnel outside his residence, the official added.
Ahir's virtual exit from the Sena (UBT) is being seen as a major blow to Aaditya Thackeray, the MLA from Worli in central Mumbai.
A nephew of underworld don-turned-politician Arun Gawli, Ahir was a three-time MLA of the undivided NCP and also served as a minister when the Congress-NCP alliance was in power from 1999 to 2014.
He also served as the Mumbai city chief of the undivided NCP. Ahir lost to the undivided Shiv Sena's Sunil Shinde in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Before Aaditya Thackeray contested and won his first Assembly election in 2019, Ahir joined the undivided Shiv Sena. Since then, he became one of Aaditya's close aides and was entrusted with several organisational responsibilities, including handling the party's trade union.
In 2022, Ahir was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council, and his current term is due to end in 2028.
