Six MNS corporators now officially part of Shiv Sena

Mumbai: The six Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporators in Mumbai, who had defected to the Shiv Sena three months back, are now officially part of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Konkan divisional commissioner has accepted the corporators’ decision to join the Shiv Sena, declaring the defection legal.

The decision was announced by Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar in the general assembly of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) late last night.

On 12 October last year, Dilip Lande, Archana Bhalerao, Snehal More, Datta Narvankar, Parashuram Kadam and Ashwini Matekar, six out of the total seven corporators of the Raj Thackeray-led MNS, had defected to the Shiv Sena. They had joined the saffron party in the presence of the party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

The MNS had approached the Konkan divisional commissioner challenging the defection on technical grounds and seeking their disqualification. Konkan divisional commissioner heard their case and finally informed about the decision to the BMC chief.

Speaking in the general body meeting on Thursday, the mayor said, “Konkan commissioner did not find anything wrong in the six corporators joining the Shiv Sena. They are now Shiv Sena corporators.”

With this, Shiv Sena’s strength has gone up to 93 (including 3 independents) in the 227-member house. Sanjay Turde is the only corporator in the Mumbai civic body, who now represents the MNS. The election to the cash-rich BMC was held in February 2017.