Actor Urmila Matondkar joined Shiv Sena on Tuesday in the presence of the party chairman and chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray.
Matondkar had unsuccessfully contested last year’s Lok Sabha polls on the Mumbai North constituency’s Congressional bid.
“She (Urmila Matondkar) can join Shiv Sena tomorrow. She is a Shivsainik. We are happy to have you join Shiv Sena. This will strengthen the party’s ‘mahila aghadi’, ”Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said earlier on Monday.
Matondkar had resigned last year from the Congress party, a key ally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. She had cited inaction by key officials in the Mumbai Congress as the reason for her resignation.
According to party informants, the Sena has already proposed Matondkar’s name for one of 12 governor-nominated seats on the state legislative council.
Shiv Sena’s senior leaders said the leaders were impressed with the way Matondkar confronted actor Kangana Ranaut when the latter and the party were locked in a war of words after Ranaut equated Mumbai with Pakistani-occupied Kashmir ( PoK).
Matondkar will be an additional resource for the Seine to spread its messages nationally. Party insiders said that Matondkar is a nationally known face, has a good social connection within Maharashtra and will become an additional voice for the party on issues.
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