In a major blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), former MLA Nirmala Gavit on Wednesday officially joined the Shiv Sena faction headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The induction ceremony was held in the presence of senior party leaders and workers.

Gavit, who was earlier a prominent face in the UBT camp, was accompanied by over a thousand women party workers from the Nashik district, all of whom pledged allegiance to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The large-scale defection is seen as a significant political shift ahead of the upcoming civic body elections in Maharashtra.

Speaking at the event, Gavit remarked, “Our leader has changed, but the party, Shiv Sena, remains the same,” suggesting that her ideological commitment to the party's core values remains intact despite the shift in leadership.

Eknath Shinde welcomed the new entrants and lauded the government's work, claiming it to be the driving force behind the growing support. “Having realized that this government is performing, and as they want to serve the people, these workers have decided to join the Sena,” he said.