Major Blow to Shiv Sena (UBT) Ahead of Thane Civic Polls

Thane: In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming local civic body elections, former Kalyan Rural MLA Subhash Bhoir on Saturday formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his son Sumit Bhoir and hundreds of supporters. The move is being seen as a major setback for the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction in Thane district, particularly in the Kalyan Rural belt.

Bhoir, a senior leader who remained loyal to Uddhav Thackeray even after the split in the Shiv Sena, was among the few prominent leaders who chose not to align with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Known as a staunch critic of Shinde and his son, Kalyan MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, Bhoir’s entry into the BJP has triggered intense political discussion, with many viewing it as a calculated move that indirectly unsettles the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

The former MLA was inducted into the BJP in the presence of state party president Ravindra Chavan. Describing his entry as a “homecoming,” Bhoir recalled his political beginnings in the Jana Sangh during the late 1980s, asserting that his ideological roots have always aligned with the BJP.

Bhoir last served as an MLA in 2014 and is learnt to have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership after not being offered a prominent electoral opportunity since 2019. Following his defeat at the hands of the Shinde faction in the previous election, he had largely stayed away from active politics. However, with civic elections approaching, his re-entry is being seen as strategically timed.

Political activity around Bhoir had intensified over the past few weeks after he met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. While Bhoir maintained that the meeting was to discuss the severe traffic congestion issue on the old Mumbai–Pune National Highway stretch between Kalyan Phata and Kalamboli, it fuelled speculation in political circles about his imminent switch to the BJP.

Subhash Bhoir | Track Record of Public Service for over 40 Years in Thane

A seasoned political operator in Thane district, Bhoir has an extensive track record. He has served five terms as a corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation, been a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), an MLA, and has held key positions in bodies such as CIDCO and the Thane Education Board. He is also considered to wield considerable influence within the Agri-Koli community, an important voting bloc in the region.

Welcoming Bhoir into the party, BJP state president Ravindra Chavan said it was an honour to have an experienced grassroots leader return to the party fold, adding that Bhoir had made the “right choice.”

With local self-government elections, including the Thane Municipal Corporation polls, expected soon, Bhoir’s induction is likely to reshape political equations in Kalyan Rural and surrounding areas, strengthening the BJP’s organisational base while posing fresh challenges for the Shiv Sena (UBT).