The move is being projected by the Shinde faction as the beginning of "Operation Tiger-3," with party leaders claiming that several legislators from the Uddhav Thackeray camp are expected to defect in the coming days.
Sachin Ahir was regarded as one of Aaditya Thackeray's closest political associates and one of the most influential leaders in Mumbai, particularly in the Worli Assembly constituency. In 2019, when Aaditya Thackeray contested his first Assembly election, Ahir, who was then with the Nationalist Congress Party, was inducted into the Shiv Sena and entrusted with complete responsibility for managing the Worli constituency.
By bringing Aaditya Thackeray's closest associate and a key election strategist for Mumbai into his camp, Eknath Shinde has made a calculated political move that is widely being viewed as an attempt to weaken the organisational structure built by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. The development has also raised questions about Aaditya Thackeray's political leadership while undermining Uddhav Thackeray's recent assertions that his organisation was growing stronger.
Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsath described the development as "Operation Emergency" led by Eknath Shinde. Welcoming Ahir into the party, Shirsath said that Sachin Ahir is an important addition to the Shiv Sena, describing him as a hardworking leader who has joined under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. He further stated that the development should not be called "Operation Tiger" but rather "Operation Emergency" conducted by Shinde. Shirsath added that the ruling alliance has no intention of ending the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, but if its leaders choose to join the Shiv Sena led by Shinde, the party cannot prevent them from doing so.
The development also surprised leaders within the opposition alliance. Shiv Sena ally Ameen Patel said he had attended a Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting with Sachin Ahir only a few days earlier and had no indication that such a political move was imminent.
Ahir's appointment has also created discussion within the ruling alliance. Senior leaders including Neelam Gorhe and Krupal Tumane had reportedly been seeking the position of Deputy Chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. However, Eknath Shinde chose to overlook leaders from his own party and instead offered the influential position to a leader from the opposition camp.
Sachin Ahir's political career has now spanned the Nationalist Congress Party, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. His latest political shift has intensified the ongoing realignment within Maharashtra politics.
Shiv Sena legislator Mahendra Dalvi described Ahir's defection as a major personal and political setback for Aaditya Thackeray. Dalvi claimed that the Mahayuti alliance's "Operation Tiger-3" has now commenced and asserted that several legislators from the Uddhav Thackeray faction would soon join the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.
The latest political development comes as the Shinde faction continues its efforts to strengthen its position in the Maharashtra Legislative Council while weakening the Uddhav Thackeray camp ahead of crucial municipal and Assembly elections.
The setback for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena follows another recent political blow in which six of the party's nine Members of Parliament shifted their allegiance to the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. With Sachin Ahir's defection and his nomination for a key constitutional post, the political contest in Maharashtra has entered another decisive phase, signalling continued instability and intensified competition between the rival Shiv Sena factions.
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