Rajan Vichare, MP from Eknath Shinde's Thane is Shiv Sena's chief whip in Lok Sabha

Rajan Vichare and Eknath Shinde have, on several occasions, credited Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe for their rise in Maharashtra's politics.

TN National Desk

Updated Jul 6, 2022, 17:59 IST

Rajan Vichare

New Delhi: Shiv Sena, on Wednesday, nominated Member of Parliament Rajan Vichare as the party's chief whip in Lok Sabha replacing Bhavana Gawali, party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said. Interestingly, Vichare is a Shiv Sena MP from Thane, the stronghold of Maharashtra Chief Minister and rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde. Also, Vichare and Shinde have vehemently credited late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe for their political journey.

The development comes days after a massive revolt hit the party resulting in the downfall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. Raut, however, said that the party's top leadership was hopeful that the rebel MLAs would be returning to the Uddhav Thackeray faction.

Subah ka bhoola...: Raut hopeful that rebels will return

"We are still hopeful that these MLAs will return... We were always in talks with rebels... They are our people, will come back. 'Subah ka bhoola agar shaam ko ghar aa jaye to usse bhoola nahi kehte'," Raut said in a press conference.

The two sides, led by Shinde and Thackeray are divided not just over the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray, but even about the legislative business in the Maharashtra Assembly. A day after the confidence motion in the Maharashtra Assembly, the Eknath Shinde camp had said that those who violated the whip would be acted upon.

Raut, however, alleged that the rebel MLAs were being bought by 'money' power. "Shiv Sena is Balasaheb Thackeray's. Cannot be anyone else's. You cannot hijack it through money. CM Mamata Banerjee has said, not just money but something else was also given. It will be a big expose when this 'something' is revealed," he said, news agency ANI quoted.

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