Amid UBT crisis, independent MLC Kiran Sarnaik joins Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena

In a fresh political development in Maharashtra, independent MLC Kiran Sarnaik has joined the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, providing another boost to the ruling Mahayuti alliance at a time when the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction is grappling with a series of defections and internal challenges.

Sarnaik, who represents the Amravati Teachers' constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, formally joined the Shinde-led Sena late on Wednesday in the presence of senior party leaders. His induction comes amid heightened speculation over further political realignments within the state ahead of upcoming electoral contests.

Welcoming Sarnaik into the party, Eknath Shinde said the MLC had been working with him on several public issues over the years and had now decided to formally associate himself with the Shiv Sena. Shinde expressed confidence that Sarnaik's experience and grassroots connect would strengthen the party's outreach, particularly among the teaching community.

Although Sarnaik was elected to the Legislative Council as an independent candidate, his move is being viewed as another gain for the Shinde camp, which has been expanding its political footprint by inducting leaders from different parties and independent ranks. The latest induction comes just a day after former UBT leader and MLC Sachin Ahir switched allegiance to the Shinde-led Sena, underlining the continuing churn in Maharashtra politics.

The induction also comes against the backdrop of repeated claims by leaders in the Shinde faction that more legislators from the UBT camp could cross over in the coming weeks. While Shiv Sena ministers have publicly spoken about the possibility of additional defections, senior leaders in the ruling alliance have maintained that any decision to join the party rests with individual legislators.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has not immediately reacted to Sarnaik's induction. However, the opposition has consistently accused the ruling alliance of engineering defections to weaken rival parties, allegations that the Mahayuti government has repeatedly denied.

The latest political development is likely to intensify discussions around the evolving balance of power in Maharashtra, where the Shiv Sena split in 2022 reshaped the state's political landscape. Since then, both the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the UBT faction have been competing to consolidate their respective organisational and legislative strength ahead of future elections.