Shrinivas Vanga, prominent MLA from Palghar, is reported to be missing after the Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena deprived him of a ticket for the Maharashtra Assembly elections to be held soon. Police are looking for Vanga now currently he is not reachable for more than 15 hours his phone is switched off. The authorities are yet to release his body but his family has remained worried about his safety.
Police had been observed outside the premise of Vanga, her presence also indicates that the situation is worsening. The development happened shortly after Shiv Sena declared their candidate for Palghar constituency a former MP in Rajendra Gavit thus dumping Vanga.
On Monday, Vanga expressed annoyance with Shiv Sena for joining Eknath Shinde camp after the party’s split in 2022, blaming the CM for neglecting true supporters. He agreed that defection from the grouping loyal to Uddhav Thackeray was a blunder. For sometime Shinde’s Sena had eyed Vanga for Palghar bad shifted its candidate to Gavit in an arrangement with the BJP. Gavit who joined shinde’s party back from BJP will now contest in Palghar.
This ticket denial and subsequent disappearance of Vanga has fuelled rumour mill about existence of factionalism in Shinde camp. At the same time, BJP has declared candidate Hemant Savara for Palghar constituency, which shows another reshuffle.
Vanga’s condition certainly augments state election which are scheduled for the Maharashtra Assembly on 20 November.
(With inputs from Saurabh Vaktania)
