Mumbai, June 30: Immediately after filing his nomination papers for the post of Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson, ‘rebel’ legislator Sachin Ahir sent his official resignation letter to Uddhav Thackeray, stepping down from all key responsibilities within the Shiv Sena (UBT), including his leadership roles in influential labour unions.

In his letter, Ahir, who defected and shifted his loyalty to Shiv Sena chief leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, cited “unavoidable circumstances” for his sudden departure.

“I am writing to respectfully inform you that I, Sachin Ahir, am currently serving as the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and the President of the Brihanmumbai BEST Kamgar Sena. I am deeply grateful to you and the party for the trust you reposed in me and for providing me the opportunity to work in these capacities. However, due to certain unavoidable circumstances, I am resigning from my posts in the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party,” said Ahir.

He further added, “I humbly request you to accept my resignation. I pray that the trust and affection you have always shown toward me remain unchanged. My best wishes will always be there for the bright future of the party.”

Ahir’s exit robs the Thackeray faction of a vital face in Mumbai’s urban politics and trade union leadership. As the head of the BEST labour union and a key figure in the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, Ahir held immense sway over Mumbai’s working-class vote bank.

Insiders suggest that shifting ground realities within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition made future prospects look bleak for Ahir under the UBT banner, prompting his switch to the ruling alliance to secure his political future. Ahir’s move is being seen as a crushing blow to Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray, given that Ahir was considered a shadow-like confidant to Aaditya.

Until Tuesday morning, intense speculation was underway within the ruling Mahayuti alliance regarding who the Shinde-led Shiv Sena would field for the Deputy Chairman position.

However, the political landscape shifted dramatically when visuals emerged of Sachin Ahir filing his nomination form. The high-profile filing took place in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Dy CM Eknath Shinde, former Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, and State Minister Chandrakant Patil.

Shiv Sena minister and spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat clarified that this was not merely a tactical crossover for an election, but a formal induction into the party. “Sachin Ahir has not just changed sides; he has officially entered the Shiv Sena,” he announced.

Sachin Ahir, early this morning, contacted Aaditya Thackeray and explained his stance regarding leaving the party.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve told reporters, “Sachin Ahir messaged me in English at 11:30 a.m. today saying that he was making some decisions to protect his political existence. We were together until last night and left this place together. We will have to see why he took such a decision. Worli belongs to the Shiv Sena; Sunil Shinde became an MLA only after defeating Sachin Ahir. Under such circumstances, his departure won’t make any difference. UBT has filed the nomination of J.M. Abhyankar for the post of Deputy Chairperson,” he stated.

Political analysts view this as the second phase of Dy CM Shinde’s strategy to dismantle the Thackeray faction’s base. This move follows closely on the heels of Dy CM Shinde successfully poaching six Lok Sabha MPs from the Thackeray camp, an offensive dubbed Operation Tiger. Ironically, this latest blow lands just as Uddhav Thackeray wrapped up a regional tour intended to consolidate his base against those rebel MPs.

Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader and State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule launched a blistering attack on Uddhav Thackeray, attributing the collapse of his faction to internal arrogance. “Uddhav Thackeray’s party has decayed solely because of his arrogant language. He and his people need to shed this ego,” Bawankule told reporters.

Responding to allegations of poaching, Bawankule explicitly distanced the BJP from the strategy. “The Bharatiya Janata Party has absolutely nothing to do with this operation. Eknath Shinde is expanding his own party, and Uddhav Thackeray needs to learn how to manage his own people instead of blaming others.”

Bawankule also took a sharp swipe at Thackeray’s chief spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, blaming the camp’s daily morning press conferences for shifting focus away from actual party management.

“They are only interested in hogging media space every morning. Nobody actually cares about holding the party together. Their core ideology has been sold out, and these defections are the direct consequence of that,” he added.

As Uddhav Thackeray travels across the state rallying support through his ‘Operation Tiger’ campaign, Shinde’s counter-strike right inside the Thackeray bastion of Worli has fundamentally altered the political calculus ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.