One MLA Absent As Uddhav Thackeray Meets Shiv Sena UBT Legislators At Matoshree
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray convened a crucial meeting of party legislators at his residence, Matoshree, in Mumbai, which saw the absence of one Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Parbhani MLA Rahul Patil failed to attend the meeting, reportedly informing the party leadership that he could not make it due to a family function.
The meeting was attended by the remaining 19 Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs and all five of the party's Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs). This gathering marked the first official meeting of the party's legislators since the defection of MLC Sachin Ahir last week, who left the Uddhav Thackeray faction to join the rival Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
This is not the first time Rahul Patil has missed a key party meeting. Thackeray had previously called a meeting of Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators on June 22, which coincided with the first day of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra state legislature. During that June 22 meeting, four out of the party's 26 legislators were absent, and Patil was among those who did not attend.
During Tuesday's session, Thackeray urged the attending MLAs and MLCs to present a united front to the public and political rivals. He emphasized the need for unity in the face of ongoing party crises, particularly following the defection of six Members of Parliament (MPs) and the recent exit of Sachin Ahir to the Shinde-led Sena.
Thackeray instructed the legislators to aggressively and systematically raise public issues in the legislative house. He specifically highlighted the need to focus on farmer concerns and the devastating impact of heavy rainfall, which has caused multiple deaths across the state of Maharashtra.
Furthermore, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief directed the present MLAs and MLCs to actively engage with the party's grassroots. He instructed them to travel to and hold meetings with party workers in the specific constituencies of the rebel MPs who had defected from the party.
