Daijiworld Media Network – Thane

Thane, Nov 15: In a major political setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Ulhasnagar, five former corporators of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation resigned from the party and joined the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Those who switched sides include Jamnu Puraswani, Prakash Makhija, Mahesh Sukhramani, Kishore Vanwari and Meena Sonde.

The leaders were formally inducted into the Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the presence of the Deputy Chief Minister. They attributed their departure to growing dissatisfaction with the functioning of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan. According to them, arbitrary decision-making, disregard for senior workers and a widening disconnect between the state leadership and the local cadre had triggered simmering unrest within the Ulhasnagar BJP unit.

Jamnu Puraswani, a five-term corporator and one of the region’s most influential Sindhi leaders, said years of unresolved issues pushed them to quit. A BJP member since 1984, Puraswani has served as group leader in the civic body for 17 years and has twice headed the district unit. “We repeatedly raised our concerns with senior leaders, but no corrective action was taken,” he said.

The corporators also highlighted the ?30-crore development fund allocated to the local MLA in 2023, which they allege remains unused due to decisions taken by Chavan. They claimed this stalled civic development and created dissatisfaction among citizens and party workers alike.

Sources said the corporators had explored the possibility of joining other parties but opted for the Shiv Sena to stay within the broader Hindutva and NDA fold.

The leaders added that they had advocated for a Shiv Sena–BJP alliance for the upcoming municipal elections, a sentiment widely supported locally. However, Chavan’s opposition to the alliance, along with the rising prominence of newcomers over long-serving party members, deepened their disillusionment and ultimately led to their exit.