Daijiworld Media Network - Pune

Pune, Nov 4: In a political development in Maharashtra, former Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) state general secretary Ranjit Shirole has joined the Congress, ending his long association with the Raj Thackeray-led party.

Shirole joined the Congress in the presence of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal. His entry comes as a significant organisational change for the MNS in Pune, where he had been active since the party's formation.

Shirole served as the MNS state general secretary and worked extensively in the Shivajinagar Assembly constituency. Raj Thackeray appointed him to the post in March 2023, but he resigned from the position in 2024.

He had also contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election from the Pune constituency as an MNS candidate, securing around 75,000 votes and finishing third.

Explaining his decision to join the Congress, Shirole said his family had longstanding ties with the party. He said he wanted to work as an individual and had chosen the Congress as the platform to pursue that objective.

He also referred to the Congress's contribution to the country's development and said he wanted to be part of the political momentum being generated by Rahul Gandhi. Shirole said he would work to strengthen the party and take its message to more people.

Shirole's father had served as chairman of the Pune Municipal Corporation's Standing Committee.

His departure marks a change in the MNS's leadership presence in Pune, where he had been associated with the party for several years.