Yet another set back for MNS! Former Mumbai Mayor Shubha Raul back in Shiv Sena

Mumbai, Jan 7: In yet another set back for the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, former Mayor Shubha Raul on Wednesday quit the party to join back Shiv Sena.

Raul, who was with Shiv Sena for 12 years previously, had deflected from the party prior to the Maharashtra Assembly election, as she was denied a party ticket to contest election from Dahisar Assembly constituency in place of sitting Sena legislator Vinod Ghosalkar.

"I do not call this (re-joining the Shiv Sena) joining the Sena. This is only home-coming for me. I had left the party as there had been many complaints against the sitting MLA Vinod Ghosalkar but he was given the party ticket once again. Now, since he has lost the polls, my work is done. This prompted me to join hands with my party once again," Raul told PTI after being formally inducted into the party fold by Uddhav Thackeray at his residence 'Matoshree'.

Raul, a three-time Sena corporator, was openly upset when the party re-nominated Ghosalkar from Dahisar seat. She had then said that she had intimated her party senior leaders that a woman candidate should be given priority in the MLA election from the Dahisar constituency, as majority of corporators in the area were women, but the party ignored her requests.

Raul, on an MNS ticket, then challenged sitting Sena MLA Ghosalkar from the constituency, along with Congress' Sheetal Mhatre, NCP's Harish Shetty and BJP's Manisha Chowdhary. BJP's Chowdhary went on to win the Assembly seat with a margin of 38,578 votes.

PTI