Thane: In a result that has drawn sharp political attention, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has managed to wrest a crucial victory in a Thane civic ward closely linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The ward is located in the area where Shinde resides and has traditionally been regarded as part of his political bastion.
Sena (UBT) candidate Shahaji Khusphe emerged victorious in Ward 13A, defeating Ashok Vaiti, a former mayor and nominee of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. Khusphe secured 12,860 votes, edging past Vaiti, who polled 12,193 votes, resulting in a narrow but politically significant margin of 667 votes.
Thane has long been the ideological and organisational heartland of the Shiv Sena, shaped over decades by Balasaheb Thackeray, the late Anand Dighe, and later Eknath Shinde himself. After the 2022 split in the party, the bulk of the Sena’s local machinery — including shakhas, corporators, and grassroots workers — moved with Shinde, making these civic elections a test of strength between the rival factions.
While the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has performed strongly overall in the Thane Municipal Corporation elections and secured three of the four seats in Ward 13, the loss of the most high-profile seat has added an unexpected twist to the narrative.
Political observers say the outcome highlights that electoral loyalty does not always move in lockstep with organisational control. Despite being outpaced in the broader municipal race, the Sena (UBT) has demonstrated that it continues to command pockets of voter trust — even in areas most closely associated with Shinde’s rise.
