While Thackeray’s nephew, Raj, is a key Sena rebel, here’s a list of a few other Sainiks who have, in the past, quit the party.
While Thackeray’s nephew, Raj, is a key Sena rebel, here’s a list of a few other Sainiks who have, in the past, quit the party.
Advocate Balwant Mantri (1967)
The first Sena rebel who once shared the dais with Thackeray at the Sena’s first rally on October 30, 1966. Mantri was beaten up and paraded by Shiv Sainiks in Dadar for demanding democracy within the organisation.
Union leader Arun Mehta (1974)
The Bharatiya Kamgar Sena’s general secretary quit the party to join the Congress due to
differences.
Bandu Shingre (1975)
Shingre quit the party over differences, including those over lending support to advocate Ramrao Adik in the 1974 Lok Sabha by-polls.
Shingre started a parallel Shiv Sena in 1975.
Dr Hemchandra Gupte (1977)
Shiv Sena’s first mayor in Mumbai resigned in protest after Thackeray supported Murli Deora of the Congress as Mumbai’s mayor instead of extending support to the opposition’s Sohansingh Kohli. Gupte later defeated Manohar Joshi (Sena) in Dadar as the Janata Party candidate.
Datta Pradhan (1977)
Former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh man who was once seen as number two in the party hierarchy as ‘Sanghatan Pramukh’. Set up Sena union in the BEST, quit after being cut to size.
Madhav Deshpande (1991)
One of Thackeray’s close associates in his initial days, Desphande spoke out against “family rule” in the Sena caused by rise of Thackeray’s second generation in 1991. However, Bal Thackeray neutralised the threat by announcing his and his family’s resignation in Saamna, only to revoke it after an outcry by Sainiks.
Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil (2004)
The former Congressman, who was once, with former union home minister Shankarrao Chavan’s Maharashtra Samajwadi Congress, joined the Sena before the 1998 Lok Sabha polls. Patil, who was a minister in the erstwhile NDA regime, was asked to quit his post by the party and later joined the Congress.
State minister Ganesh Naik
Incumbent state excise minister Naik, the Shiv Sena’s Navi Mumbai strongman, had to go from the state cabinet during the erstwhile Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government because of differences with the leadership and local issues.
Chhagan Bhujbal (1991)
Presently minister for public works, Bhujbal kept his rural roots intact despite being grounded in Mumbai’s civic politics. It was thanks to him that the Sena spread in rural areas. The ‘other backward classes’ leader and former mayor was the sole Sena member of legislative assembly (MLA) in 1985 and was known for his aggression. However, he quit the Sena with 17 MLAs in December 1991 after Manohar Joshi was made the leader of the opposition, overriding his claim. Bhujbal claimed that his decision was also spurred by the Sena’s opposition to the Mandal commission.
Narayan Rane (2005)
Incumbent industries minister and former chief minister, Narayan Rane, legislator from the erstwhile Malvan constituency, quit over differences with Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray. Rane took away with him seven legislators, of whom six were re-elected on Congress tickets.
And a few others...
In addition, leaders like Suresh Navale, Vilas Gundewar, Dr Ramesh Prabhoo, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Subodh Mohite, Sureshdada Jain, Gulabrao Gawande, Tukaram Renge-Patil and Sanjay Nirupam were also estranged from the Sena. Some like Jain and Gawande later returned to the Sena fold.
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