Two Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs Join Shinde Faction, Leave Uddhav Thackeray's Camp Two members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) legislative party, Omrajee Nimbalkar and Nagesh Astikar, have officially joined the faction led by Akhilesh Shinde, marking a significant political shift in Maharashtra. This move has been described as a major blow to Uddhav Thackeray's leadership, with analysts suggesting that the remaining four dissenting MLAs may soon follow suit. Nimbalkar, representing Dharaashiv (Osmanabad), and Astikar, from Hingoli, made the switch after the Supreme Court dismissed all charges in the murder case of Nimbalkar's father, Pavnaraje Nimbalkar. The verdict, announced on Saturday, prompted Nimbalkar to announce his decision to leave the Uddhav faction. Astikar, meanwhile, publicly declared his switch during a Facebook Live session. Uddhav Thackeray had attempted to persuade the two MLAs to stay, sending messages through intermediaries like MLA Kailas Patil and legislator Varun Sardesai. The messages urged Nimbalkar to reconcile with the party and move forward. However, Nimbalkar and Astikar expressed frustration over past grievances, stating they were compelled to consider Shinde's offer due to political pressures. In a statement after leaving the party, Nimbalkar claimed that his decision was driven by the need to secure development for his constituency, not by personal gain. He emphasized that he was not swayed by political or financial incentives but by the necessity to address regional development challenges. Astikar, on the other hand, highlighted the difficulties of working in the opposition, citing a lack of funding and the inability to pass development proposals.#uddhav_thackeray #shiv_sena_ubit #akhilesh_shinde #nimbalkar #astikar
