Mumbai: In a major setback for the Yuva Sena led by Aaditya Thackeray, his close aide Rahul Kanal is set to join Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Saturday.
Kanal has been the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) Sena’s face in Bandra and have been a close aide of Aaditya Thackeray for over a decade since the formation of the Yuva Sena.
A very active member of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena led by Aaditya Thackeray, Rahul recently quit Yuva Sena’s core committee as he was upset with the functioning of the group.
Kanal’s exit comes weeks after former Sena corporator Amey Ghole another key member of the Yuva Sena quit and joined Shinde Sena.
Kanal's decision to switch sides is seen as a significant setback for the Uddhav camp, especially in light of the upcoming BMC polls.
He will join the Sena in the presence of CM Shinde on Saturday when Aaditya Thackeray is to lead a morcha to the BMC to protest against alleged corruption and irregularities in the civic body's functioning.
A UBT Sena functionary said, "The Yuva Sena has disintegrated in a way. Almost all key core committee including former corporators and sitting MLAs, have left. Kanal was known for his network in Bollywood and the hotel industry.
He was appointed to the Shirdi temple trust and nominated as a member of the BMC education committee. Now, barring a few, only Varun Sardesai, who is Aaditya’s cousin is left there”.
Kanal’s name was also in the reckoning for an MLC seat in the past when the Sena (UBT) was in power. Considered a key player in the Yuva Sena, he also runs NGOs like ‘I Love Mumbai’ and is involved in several CSR (corporate social responsibility) projects.
Several members have defected from the Thackeray Sena and gone over to the Shinde group with the Shinde Sena keen to gain control of BMC after civic polls.
The Shiv Sena split in June last year after the rebellion of Shinde against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the party name and 'bow and arrow' symbol was allotted to the former. The Thackeray faction was then given a new name - Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).