In a major blow to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, Rahul Kanal, a prominent leader and close aide of Aditya Thackeray, has resigned from the party and joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Kanal, who was a key member of the core committee of Aditya Thackeray-led Yuva Sena, has now joined the CM’s faction.
Addressing his decision to switch sides, Kanal asserted that he faced no external pressure to join the Shiv Sena. Despite allegations of corruption being levelled against him, he stated, “Some claim my name is involved in corruption, but if there would have been any pressure against me, I would have joined long back,” as he candidly expressed his reasons to join Shiv Sena.
Furthermore, Kanal expressed his disappointment regarding the lack of attention he received from Aditya Thackeray. Highlighting the difficulties he encountered in trying to communicate with the leader, Kanal revealed, “I have been trying to speak to him for the last 4 months since I quit the Yuva Sena group because there were issues. But despite that, no one tried to contact me.”
Contrary to the perception of being a close aide, Kanal emphasised that it took him four months to establish contact with Aditya Thackeray, questioning the level of accessibility faced by ordinary individuals.
“People call me a close aide of Aaditya Thackeray but it took me 4 months to get in touch with him. I don’t know what common people would have to face,” he added. Should any of the corruption allegations against him be substantiated, Kanal affirmed his willingness to quit politics.
The split within the Shiv Sena, which occurred last year when Uddhav Thackeray was in power, resulted in two factions. Eknath Shinde, who was then a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, led a rebellion within the ranks, leading to the downfall of the Thackeray-led government. Subsequently, the Shinde camp, with the support of the BJP, assumed power.