Mumbai, June 22 (IANS) In a dramatic post-election twist, newly elected Independent Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Gokul Gite announced on Monday that he will function as an associate member of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the state legislature.
The announcement came during a joint press conference held alongside Shiv Sena leaders, including State Industries Minister Uday Samant and Member of Parliament Shrikant Shinde, just hours after Gite secured a stunning upset victory in the Nashik Local Authorities Constituency, defeating the Shiv Sena nominee Narendra Darade.
Addressing the media, Gite clarified that the public mandate was in his favour and that he voluntarily reached out to the ruling party leadership. He said he had contacted Shrikant Shinde, Uday Samant, Unmesh Patil, and Suhas Kande to express his willingness to work as an associate member of the Shiv Sena in the Legislative Council.
Following his request, Gite was invited to Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde’s official residence, ‘Nandanvan’ bungalow, in Mumbai. He said Shinde permitted him to work as an associate member of the Shiv Sena and assured him that he was prepared to take on organisational responsibilities in the future.
The Nashik constituency was assigned to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena under the Mahayuti alliance’s seat-sharing formula. The alliance had officially fielded sitting MLC Narendra Darade. However, Gite, a rebel linked with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contested as an independent, creating a major internal rift.
Explaining his political background, Gite clarified that he is not currently an active member of the BJP. He said his brother Ganesh Gite had initially sought the ticket, but the seat was committed to Darade. Ganesh withdrew his nomination, but Gite’s supporters pushed his independent candidacy forward.
He revealed that BJP Minister Girish Mahajan had requested him to halt his campaign, which he did, but inflammatory remarks from the opposition camp motivated his supporters to continue canvassing.
Defending Shinde against allegations of sabotage, Gite said Shinde had made honest efforts to ensure Darade’s victory but added that he was impressed by Shinde’s style of functioning and wanted to work alongside him.
In the counting held on Monday, Gite secured 357 votes, crossing the winning quota of 303. Darade managed only 248 votes, losing by 109 votes.
By absorbing Gite as an associate member, Shinde has retained the legislative strength of the seat within his party’s fold, mitigating a numerical loss in the Upper House while managing alliance friction.
–IANS
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