Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders may join our party, claims Sanjay Shirsat

Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Friday claimed that a few leaders of the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) will join his party over the next few days.

He also blamed Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut for being the cause of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's downfall.

"Some important people (from the Sena (UBT)) will be joining our party before June 10," Shirsat told reporters.

Following the results of the Lok Sabha elections where the opposition alliance outperformed the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, some Sena (UBT) leaders have claimed that five-seven MLAs of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena would soon switch sides. Shirsat dared them to disclose the names of these MLAs. "This news was spread to stop their MLAs from leaving the party," he added.

Reacting to Shirsat's claims, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sachin Ahir said the Lok Sabha election was only a "trailer" of what was to come.

Not just MLAs of Shinde-led Sena but some legislators of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP too were in touch with the Sena (UBT) post results, Ahir claimed, adding that his party may not entertain such people.

"He (Shirsat) should look at his own party's affairs. Vidhan Sabha polls are round the corner and you (the ruling alliance) have suffered the consequences of the split (in the Shiv Sena)," he added. Shirsat, meanwhile, also targeted Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. Unless "sycophants" like Raut left, the prospects of Uddhav Thackeray's party would not improve, he said.