Shrikant Shinde, son of senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, walks into BJP MLA's programme

In a surprise move, Shrikant Shinde, Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan, walked into a programme organised by an MLA of opposition BJP on Tuesday, January 26.

While talking to reporters, Shinde said that he decided to join the event at the last moment, and the move was not planned in advance. The programme was organisd by former minister and BJP MLA from Dombivali, Ravindra Chavan, to rename a road junction located near the newly-inaugurated Patripul ROB in Kalyan after Savitribai Phule.

Moreover, this move comes a shocking one as the elections to Shiv Sena-controlled Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) are expected to be announced soon.

Addressing the audience at the venue, which mostly comprised of BJP workers and supporters, Shinde stated that though maintaining social distancing is a must during the pandemic period, but there shouldn't be any distance between hearts of citizens and leaders.

Interestingly, while inaugurating the bridge on Monday, January 25, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had attacked at the BJP over development works "pending" with Central agencies.

His father Eknath Shinde is a cabinet minister in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. However, according to reports, since last year, senior Sena leader and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, who was deemed to be the most powerful Sena minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government, is now finding himself slowly sidelined under the Uddhav Thackeray-led administration.