Malegaon strongman Advay Hiray joins BJP

Nashik: Malegaon strongman and former Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Advay Hiray rejoined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai on Tuesday, marking a significant political shift ahead of the local body elections.This move is widely seen as a strategic move by the BJP to lessen the influence of senior Shiv Sena minister Dada Bhuse across Malegaon and its neighboring regions. Political analysts have emphasized the crucial timing as the BJP has intensified its preparations for the upcoming zilla parishad and municipal corporation polls.For Hiray, who originally belonged to the BJP before switching to Uddhav Thackeray's faction in Jan 2023, this move represents a "Ghar Wapsi". His return comes over a year after he was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in the alleged Rs7.46 crore Nashik District Central Co-operative (NDCC) bank loan default case. He spent nearly 9 months in jail before securing bail in Aug 2024.After his release, Hiray contested the Malegaon Outer assembly seat on a UBT ticket but lost to Bhuse. His re-entry into the BJP signals a fresh chapter in the ongoing power tussle in north Maharashtra.Hiray joined BJP along with hundreds of supporters at a function attended by state BJP president Ravindra Chavan and cabinet minister Girish Mahajan. "I thank the leadership for giving me this opportunity. I will work to strengthen the BJP in Malegaon, Baglan and Nandgaon. The next mayor of Malegaon Municipal Corporation and zilla parishad president will be from the BJP," he said.