In yet another jolt to Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, a week after his six MPs deserted him, one of his loyalists on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) switched sides to support rival Eknath Shinde. Sachin Ahir, a close confidante of Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, and a member of the Legislative Council, filed his nomination for the Deputy Chairperson election as the official Shiv Sena candidate. The nomination was filed in the presence of Mahayuti leaders like Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.

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Interestingly, Mr. Shinde said that there was no question of change of parties or of a disqualification, as Mr. Ahir was elected as a Shiv Sena MLC in 2022, on the symbol of the bow and arrow. “The party and the symbol are with me today. He has not changed parties. He was voted as an MLC by us, by the Shiv Sena. He is in Shiv Sena today,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray downplayed the impact of the switch, and said it will not affect the party’s strength in its core constituency like Worli. “This is not ‘Operation Tiger’, but ‘Operation Devendra Fadnavis’,” he said. Uddhav Thackeray had earlier said that Eknath Shinde’s moves were aimed at clipping the wings of BJP leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Sachin Ahir said he had no complaints against any of the Thackeray family members, adding that he will take up any responsibility assigned to him by Eknath Shinde. He refrained from criticising Uddhav Thackeray or Aaditya Thackeray.

Sachin Ahir, a three-time MLA, former Minister, and a sitting MLC of the party since 2022, is considered one of the close confidantes of the Thackeray family. He hails from the Worli constituency, which is Aaditya Thackeray’s constituency, and is believed to have played a key role in consolidating the young Thackeray’s victory during the last Assembly election. He is known for having a strong hold over the union politics of Mumbai.

Within the Shiv Sena(UBT), he attracted attention and jealousy for this proximity to the Thackerays and his quick ascent to the party leadership positions despite being comparatively new. He had joined the Shiv Sena from the NCP in the year 2019. Thereafter, he was made the deputy leader of the party. In 2022, he was given an MLC seat. In the BMC, his daughter’s NGO has a place in a ward-level committee. He also holds a position in the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and heads the BEST union.

Recently, he was at the forefront of the Shiv Sena(UBT)’s activities after the news of ‘Operation Tiger’ started doing rounds. Last week, he took the lead to reach out to Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Dina Patil, to try to stop him from joining Eknath Shinde. He could not succeed. A few days ago, he had travelled with Aaditya Thackeray in his personal vehicle. “We had a sombre discussion about the attacks by the current regime on various institutions. The party gave him everything. He cannot even say that I did not meet him,” Mr Thackeray said. The MPs who recently switched sides from Uddhav Thackeray to Eknath Shinde had claimed that they did so because they did not get to see or meet the Thackerays.

Shiv Sena(UBT) leaders said that technically, the MLCs who were voted to the upper house when the party had not split, continued to be registered on the symbol of the bow and arrow, as the Shiv Sena MLCs. Sachin Ahir became an MLC on July 8, 2022. As per a gazette notification accessed by The Hindu, Sachin Ahir’s name has been registered as a Shiv Sena MLC. “There are no official documents to show Mr Ahir’s affiliation to Shiv Sena UBT in the upper house,” an official of the State legislature said. When asked about whether Mr Ahir had followed any process to change his parties, Neelam Gorhe, former Deputy Chairperson of Maharashtra Legislative Council said, “He was in Shiv Sena. He is in Shiv Sena only.”