MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday sacked former minister of state Vijay Shivtare from the party and scrapped his primary membership citing anti-party activities. While Uddhav is continuing with his spate of sackings, CM Eknath Shinde has been reappointing sacked MLAs and leaders back to the same posts. On Saturday, Shinde reappointed Naresh Mhakse as the zilla pramukh (district chief) for Thane.
Mhaske's is the second reappointment by Shinde of a Sena office-bearer dismissed by Uddhav. Thackeray had sacked Mhaske earlier in the week after Mhaske backed Shinde.
The first to be reinstated was rebel Sena MLA Santosh Bangar. A day after he was sacked from his post by Thackeray, CM Shinde met Bang zilla pramukh of Hingoli. Sena has been announcing sacking of rebel MLAs and leaders though Saamna.
"The removal of Naresh Mhakse was illegal. The Shiv Sena mouthpiece has no rights to sack a leader from his post who is holding aloft the flag of Hindutva based on the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. As per the Sena's constitution, any person who is being sacked has to be given a proper notice and has to be heard before any action is taken. Sacking people in a hurry like this is illegal. So I have decided to reappoint Naresh Mhaske," Shinde said.
Shivtare, who was MLA from Purandar, slammed Sena MP Sanjay Raut after being sacked. "I had left Sena before they could expel me. This is not just about politics but about the larger interest of our constituencies. Sanjay Raut is responsible for this, and everyone knows where his loyalty is, with Uddhavji or with Pawar saheb. Raut is my friend, but he has illusions and is misleading everyone," Shivtare said.
