In a striking local-level political realignment, rival factions of the Shiv Sena—led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray—have come together to form a joint front in Barshi taluka of Solapur district, alongside both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), ahead of the upcoming Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.
Elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis across Maharashtra are scheduled to be held on February 7. Despite being fierce rivals at the state level, the two Shiv Sena factions have aligned locally in Barshi, signalling the fluid nature of grassroots politics.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde campaigned for the four-party front on Wednesday, addressing a rally at Vairag in Barshi taluka. Notably, Dilip Sopal, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA from the region, was present on the stage.
Speaking in a lighter tone, Shinde remarked that Sopal had “taken the wrong bus”, suggesting that had he aligned differently during the 2024 Assembly elections, he might have been part of the state cabinet. The comment drew attention to the shifting loyalties and tactical alliances shaping local contests.
A Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Solapur, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alliance was strictly limited to the Barshi taluka and aimed at countering the Bharatiya Janata Party at the local level. He clarified that the front covers 238 villages in the taluka and is relevant only for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls.
The Sena (UBT) leadership has earlier maintained that it would not align with either the Shiv Sena led by Shinde or the NCP. However, similar local-level arrangements have surfaced in the past. In December’s municipal council elections, the two Sena factions had jointly backed a candidate in Kankavli taluka of Sindhudurg district, leading to a surprise victory.
The Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after Shinde rebelled against Thackeray with a majority of MLAs and later joined hands with the BJP to form the government. While Shinde’s faction is now part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance along with the NCP, Sena (UBT) remains a key constituent of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, making the Barshi tie-up an unusual but telling example of pragmatic local politics.
