In the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other party leaders, the actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar joined Shiv Sena on Tuesday. The actor is likely to join the state legislative council from the Governor’s quota.

Matondkar’s name is among other 11 names which had been forwarded to Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari for nomination to the Legislative Council from the Governor’s quota as reported by news agency PTI. The list of 12 names, however, is yet to be approved by Koshyari.

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said Matondar’s joining will strengthen the party’s ‘mahila aghadi’. Calling her Shiv Sainik, Raut on Tuesday informed about her formal entry at residence Matoshree in the presence of Thackeray and his son and minister Aaditya Thackeray.

The senior party leaders have said that the leadership was impressed with the way Matondkar tackled actor Kangana Ranaut when the latter compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and criticised the Uddhav Thackeray government.

Being a well-known face nationally, Matondkar has a good social connect within Maharashtra. Hence, she can turn out to be an additional voice for the Shiv Sena to put out its messages on national level, told the party insiders.

The 46-year-old actor had last year contested from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket. Later, she quit the party, a key ally of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, citing inaction on the part of key functionaries of Mumbai Congress as the reason for her resignation.

Also Read: Jacqueline Fernandez joins Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon in Sajid Nadiadwala’s Bachchan Pandey

Matondkar had an unsuccessful contest against Gopal Shetty of the BJP, who won by almost 4 lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Later, in September, she had resigned saying that her efforts to work for the betterment of the party did not find support. Further she had said that her political and social sensibilities refused to allow vested interests in the party to use her as a means to fight petty in-house politics,  instead of working on a bigger goal in Mumbai Congress.

The post Urmila Matondkar joins Shiv Sena in Uddhav Thackeray’s presence appeared first on APN News.

A year after quitting the Congress, actor-politician Urmila Matondkar, who had contested from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket, is all set to begin her second political innings with the Shiv Sena. Harshal Pradhan, a close aide of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, confirmed to ANI that the actor will join the party in the chief minister’s presence on Tuesday.

Matondkar is one of the 12 whose names had been forwarded to Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari by the Shiv Sena for nomination to the Legislative Council from the Governor’s quota. Koshyari is yet to approve the list of 12 names.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Matondkar had lost to Gopal Shetty of the BJP by almost 4 lakh votes. Blaming Congress internal politics, she had resigned from the party in September 2019. She had said her efforts to work for the betterment of the party did not find support. She had said that her political and social sensibilities refused to allow vested interests in the party to use her as a means to fight petty in-house politics instead of working on a bigger goal in Mumbai Congress.

Matondkar can turn out to be an additional resource for the Shiv Sena to put out its messages on a national level. Party sources said Matondkar is a well-known face nationally, has a good social connect within Maharashtra and will become an additional voice for the party on various issues. Shiv Sena MP and Saamna’s executive editor Sanjay Raut Raut told the reporters on Monday that Matondkar will formally join Sena on Tuesday. Calling her Shiv Sainik Raut said her formal entry is expected to take place at Matoshree in the presence of Thackeray and his son and minister Aaditya Thackeray.

Also Read: Apne 2: Dharmendra unites with sons Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and grandson Karan Deol

Recently, she had engaged with Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and criticised the Uddhav Thackeray government.

The post Urmila Matondkar set to join Shiv Sena tomorrow appeared first on APN News.