Shinde Sena considering Uddhav aide Milind Narvekar for Mumbai seat

In a move that could set the cat among the pigeons, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is considering the possibility of tapping Milind Narvekar, secretary of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, to contest from one of the Mumbai seats during the general elections.

While Narvekar chose to stick with Thackeray after the Eknath Shinde-led rebellion resulted in a split in the Shiv Sena in 2022, he still enjoys cordial relations with the chief minister as well as deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

“Narvekar is one of the names being considered for Mumbai North West constituency,” said a senior legislator from the Shinde-led Sena. “We have sent feelers to him. He is a known name in the Sena’s voter base and his defection to the Shinde Sena would be a setback for the Thackeray faction at this juncture.”

As someone who knows the party inside out, Narvekar would be a great asset for the Shinde Sena, which is still a bit of an organisational mess, according to an aide of the chief minister. His inputs would also help the Shinde faction counter the Thackeray Sena’s strategies.

Narvekar has been Thackeray’s close aide for two decades. Many eyebrows were raised when Shinde visited Narvekar’s residence during the Ganesh festival after the 2022 split. There was speculation that Narvekar would join the Shinde faction back then, but he eventually chose to stay with Thackeray.

Will that change now? Narvekar could not be reached for his reaction.