Thane: Shooting Incident Involving Shiv Sena and BJP Leaders Sparks Political Turmoil near Mumbai

Ulhasnagar, 3rd February 2024: A shooting incident near Mumbai involving prominent political figures has thrown the Maharashtra political landscape into disarray. The clash occurred at the Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar during a discussion about a contentious land dispute between Ganpat Gaikwad, a Shiv Sena leader representing the Kalyan East constituency, and Mahesh Gaikwad, a BJP legislator.

Heated talks between the two Maharashtra government-associated politicians escalated, culminating in Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly firing at Mahesh Gaikwad inside a senior inspector’s chamber. The confrontation resulted in injuries to both individuals, along with another supporter, all promptly transported to a hospital. Despite undergoing surgery, Mahesh Gaikwad remains in critical condition on a ventilator, with five bullets extracted from his body.

Ganpat Gaikwad claims the shooting was an act of self-defence, asserting that Mahesh Gaikwad had unlawfully seized land and mistreated his son. Without remorse, he accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of presiding over a “kingdom of criminals” in Maharashtra, alleging financial debts owed to him by Shinde. Ganpat Gaikwad called for the Chief Minister’s resignation, citing the need for effective state management.

Law enforcement has filed an attempt to murder case and apprehended Ganpat Gaikwad, along with two others involved. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has initiated a high-level inquiry, emphasizing impartiality in the face of political affiliations.

In response, Chief Minister Shinde and his MP son visited the injured Mahesh Gaikwad at the hospital. The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena criticized the government for failing to maintain law and order, highlighting the brazen act of the BJP MLA inside a police station. The faction questioned whether those in power were immune to legal consequences, asserting a failure in both engines of the state government.

The incident holds broader significance due to the Shiv Sena split in 2022, with Eknath Shinde allying with the BJP, leading to an Election Commission ruling in favour of Shinde’s faction over the party’s legacy recently.