Mumbai: The exodus from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress continued on Wednesday with NCP legislator Dilip Sopal and former Congress legislator Dilip Mane joining the Shiv Sena.
Mr Sopal had already announced he would soon join the Shiv Sena and contest the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls as a Sena candidate.
Congress leader Nagnath Kshirsagar from Solapur district was also inducted into the Sena on Wednesday.
With the entry of Mr Sopal and Mr Mane into its fold, the Sena aims to make inroads into the Solapur district — a Congress-NCP bastion.
Last week, Rashmi Bagal, another NCP leader from Karmala Assembly constituency in Solapur, had joined the Sena.
Mr Sopal, a six-time MLA from Barshi, was said to have a close relationship with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Mr Mane had previously represented Solapur South Assembly seat, but lost it to BJP leader Subhash Deshmukh in 2014.
Welcoming Mr Sopal and others into the Sena, Mr Thackeray made it clear that local party leaders have been taken into confidence about inducting people from other parties.
“We have not kept anyone in the dark about such political decisions,” he said.
There are reports that local Sena leaders in Barshi are unhappy over Mr Sopal’s induction into the party.
The NCP, meanwhile, has termed Mr Sopal ‘untrustworthy colleague’ for switching to Sena.
Speaking during party’s Shivswarajya Yatra in Malshiras, state NCP chief Jayant Patil said, “You (Sopal) spent your entire life on one side and at this juncture, you knocked Uddhav Thackeray’s door...what a trustworthy colleague you are...how come people will trust you?”
He expressed surprise that Mr Sopal, who had always criticised the Sena in the House, has chosen that party to make a switchover.
The NCP is likely to get another jolt as its senior MLA Bhaskar Jadhav, party’s former state president, has also indicated that he would join Sena soon.
Mr Jadhav said, Mr Thackeray has invited him to join Sena and he would take a final decision after speaking to his family and supporters.
