The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) decision to support the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena in the Kalyan–Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has reshaped local power dynamics and sparked debates. This unexpected alliance is spearheaded by former MNS MLA Pramod Ratan Patil, with the party claiming that the state leadership had given local units the freedom to act based on ground realities.
Patil’s move, however, appears to have strained relations between the Shinde Sena and Shiv Sena UBT led by Uddhav Thackeray, who had shared stage with MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Worli, declaring a reunion after two decades for the Marathi cause.
Who is Raju Patil
Pramod Ratan Patil, 51, or Raju as he is popularly known, hails from Katai village near Dombivli and comes from a politically active family. He is the youngest of four siblings whose father was a union leader. His elder brother Ramesh Patil entered politics first, winning a Zilla Parishad seat in 2007 on a Congress ticket and later becoming an MLA with the MNS in 2009, opening the path for Raju.
Raju initially managed the family’s cable and pharmaceutical business before entering electoral politics. He won an unopposed Zilla Parishad bypoll in 2009 and joined the MNS, contesting the 2014 Assembly elections against Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde and drawing over 1.22 lakh in a losing cause. In 2019, following his brother’s fallout with the party MNS, Patil won the MLA seat, becoming the lone MNS representative in the state assembly.
Political relationships
Patil remained a steadfast loyalist of MNS founder Raj Thackeray, even as the party weathered dissent and defections. Considered close to Raj Thackeray, he enjoys more freedom than most MNS leaders in managing the party’s Kalyan unit.
His ties with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena have traditionally been strained. Patil contested elections against Shrikant Shinde, and says Shiv Sena leaders often obstructed his work. At the same time, he maintains a cordial relationship with BJP state chief Ravindra Chavan, with both living in the same compound in Dombivli. In the run up to the municipal corporation elections, the residence of his brother was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Patil’s reasons
Political manoeuvring in the Kalyan–Dombivli Municipal Corporation intensified recently, with fears of defections and uncertainty over control of key posts and statutory committees. Against this backdrop, five MNS corporators formally extended support to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde announced that the two parties would now be part of the ruling arrangement in the civic body.
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Former MNS MLA Raju Patil, who led the negotiations, said the decision was driven by instability in the corporation and concerns over governance.
“In the Kalyan–Dombivli Municipal Corporation, the BJP has 50 corporators and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has 53. For the past few days, a political game was underway. Number-crunching and horse-trading had begun, and there was a real possibility of chaos during upcoming committee elections. In such a situation, we supported the Shiv Sena to ensure stability,” Patil said.
When asked what MNS stood to gain by aligning with the ruling side, Patil emphasised that the party’s priority was delivery of civic works. “If development work in our wards gets done, that itself is a big gain for us,” he said.
On whether Raj Thackeray had been informed, Patil said the post-poll scenario forced a rethink. “We fought the elections as allies, but soon after the results, some corporators went missing. At that time, we were concerned about corporators from both the camps. The people of Kalyan–Dombivli are fed up with the politics of defections, and this decision was taken keeping that in mind,” he said.
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Patil added that he had briefed MNS chief Raj Thackeray on the local arithmetic. “When we explained the KDMC numbers to Raj Thackeray, he gave us the authority to take decisions at the local level. With just five corporators, we could not have delivered justice to the people by sitting in Opposition. By remaining in power, we can at least act as a check,” he said.
Patil’s decision to ally with the Shiv Sena for now remains inexplicable and has strained relations with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, which is asking MNS to rethink its position.
“We will not take any stand that helps those who have betrayed Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray is also not such a leader, and therefore our position is clear. The issue of Kalyan–Dombivli is a matter of serious concern. They are saying that it is a decision taken at the local level. However, if any party leadership adopts a stand that goes against the party’s core ideology and principles, the leadership must act,” Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut said.
