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In a setback to Sena (UBT), Aaditya Thackeray’s close aide and Yuva Sena member Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth joins BJP

According to sources, Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth was keen to contest the BMC elections, and had been preparing for the Mumbai civic polls.

2 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jan 1, 2026 06:18 PM IST

Soon after joining the BJP, Devrukhkar-Sheth posted a photograph on social media showing her with party leader Chitra Wagh, confirming her induction. (Photo: Facebook/Sheetal Devrukhar-Sheth)

Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth, a senior Yuva Sena leader and a close associate of Aaditya Thackeray, has quit the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Her move is seen as a setback for the Sena (UBT) in South Mumbai as campaigning for the BMC polls gathers pace.

Soon after joining the BJP, Devrukhkar-Sheth posted a photograph on social media showing her with party leader Chitra Wagh, confirming her induction.

Sources said she was keen to contest the BMC elections from Ward No. 51, and had been preparing for the polls. However, her name did not appear in the party’s candidate lists, which is believed to have led to dissatisfaction and her eventual exit.

In her resignation, Devrukhkar-Sheth cited personal reasons, though party insiders said denial of a ticket was a key factor.

She had been associated with the Shiv Sena since 2003 and held several organisational roles over the years. Devrukhkar-Sheth was a member of the core committee of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Sena (UBT), and had worked closely with Aaditya Thackeray on party activities.

She is also a member of the Mumbai University Senate.a

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