Raul quits MNS to join Shiv Sena once again.
Former Mayor Shubha Raul who had quit Shiv Sena to join Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) prior to the assembly election has now rejoined Sena by quitting MNS. It’s a huge setback for MNS which had performed badly in the assembly election as many leaders have bid adieu to the party. Raul said that there were no differences with the Sena party leaders and she had quit the party for different reason.
Raul, who was with Shiv Sena for 12 years previously, had deflected from the party prior to the Maharashtra Assembly election, as she was denied a party ticket to contest election from Dahisar Assembly constituency in place of sitting Sena legislator Vinod Ghosalkar. She had contested election against sitting Ghosalkar on MNS ticket from Dahisar constituency but lost the election. Raul, a corporator from Dahisar, had objected to Ghosalkar’s style of functioning.
“I do not call this Ghar Vaapsi. This is only home-coming for me. I had left the party as there had been many complaints against the sitting MLA Vinod Ghosalkar but he was given the party ticket once again. Now, since he has lost the polls, my work is done. This prompted me to join hands with my party once again,” Raul said after being formally inducted into the party fold by Uddhav Thackeray at his residence ‘Matoshree’.
Raul, a three-time Sena corporator, was openly upset when the party re-nominated Ghosalkar from Dahisar seat.
She had then said that she had intimated her party senior leaders that a woman candidate should be given priority in the MLA election from the Dahisar constituency, as majority of corporators in the area were women, but the party ignored her requests.
Raul, on an MNS ticket, then challenged sitting Sena MLA Ghosalkar from the constituency, along with Congress’ Sheetal Mhatre, NCP’s Harish Shetty and BJP’s Manisha Chowdhary.
BJP’s Chowdhary went on to win the Assembly seat with a margin of 38,578 votes.
Raul, who was the face of the anti-hookah campaign in 2008, had also written a letter to Modi praising him of his promise of a ‘Nashamukt Bharat’. During her mayorship, Shubha had undertaken the drive against Hookah parlours and shut many of them down. After writing a letter, Raul now has sent a mail to Modi seeking an appointment to personally meet him and discuss the issue.
