Parbhani Sena (UBT) leaders quit in droves after district chief’s removal

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A wave of resignations has hit Shiv Sena (UBT) in Parbhani after the party replaced district chief Gangaprasad Anerao, considered a close aide of MP Sanjay Jadhav, with Vishnu Murkute, intensifying speculation over Jadhav's possible exit from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.Following the organisational reshuffle, several office-bearers loyal to Jadhav began sending their resignations to the party leadership from Tuesday afternoon, with the process still continuing even on Wednesday. However, sources said some local functionaries have opposed the mass resignation move, exposing internal divisions within the district unit.Among those who have resigned are Yuva Sena district chief Deepak Barhate, women's district organiser Mangal Kathale, Dalit Aghadi district organiser Sanjay Sarnikar, deputy district chiefs Ranjit Gajmal and Dashrath Bhosale, and sabhapati Pandharinath Ghule, along with several workers. "Close to 100 office bearers have sent their resignations to the party chief," said MP Jadhav's one of the close aides.The political churn comes amid continuing speculation over Parbhani MP Sanjay alias Bandu Jadhav switching sides. The party's move to remove Anerao and appoint Murkute is being seen as a clear signal from the leadership as uncertainty over Jadhav's political future deepens.Party insiders claimed that Jadhav personally contacted several key office-bearers and urged them to tender their resignations, though there was no official confirmation.Speculation over Jadhav's defection has been rife for weeks. At a recent local event, the MP had made an ambiguous statement that added fuel to the buzz.A remark by MP Bandu Jadhav has triggered fresh political speculation after he said, "I am with you today, but cannot say about tomorrow," at a public event on Saturday, leaving his future political course open to interpretation." He balanced his remarks in the same speech by stating that "Those who made me what I am will never be betrayed, but times have changed. Even voters now demand money. Workers are asking how long we should remain in the opposition. I have not left the party yet, and it is too early to say what lies ahead.Notably, Jadhav has so far not issued any categorical denial of the defection rumours. His absence from a recent meeting of Parbhani office-bearers and elected representatives convened by the party leadership in Mumbai further strengthened speculation.The latest resignations have brought local factionalism within Sena (UBT) in Parbhani into the open. Political observers said the developments indicate that the party leadership may now be shifting control of the district unit towards MLA Dr Rahul Patil, apparently in anticipation of Jadhav's possible exit.