Ex Shiv Sena MLA Trupti Sawant Joins BJP

Former Shiv Sena MLA Trupti Sawant joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Devendra Fadnavis, the former chief minister of Maharashtra.

Mumbai: Trupti Sawant, former Shiv Sena MLA, joins Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of Devendra Fadnavis. pic.twitter.com/611m2Hr6er

— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2021

Trupti Sawant was earlier expelled from the Shiv Sena during the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2019. She wasn't given a ticket to contest in the elections by the Shiv Sena. Trupti Sawant then announced that she will be contesting as an independent candidate in the elections. She was subsequently expelled from the party after that.

It is said that Uddhav Thackeray, the present chief minister of Maharashtra had asked her to withdraw her nomination. However, she didn't agree to his demand.

Who is Trupti Sawant?

1. Trupti Sawant was a Shiv Sena MLA representing the Vandre East Vidhan Sabha constituency in Mumbai.
2. In the 2015 Bandra East by-election, Sawant managed to defeat Narayan Rane, the ex-chief minister of Maharashtra.
3. During the 2019 election, the Shiv Sena favoured Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar over her.
4. "I have the sympathy of the voters. Even today, people respect us like the time when Saheb (late Bala Sawant) was there... I will fight for Bala Saheb... there are attempts to destroy his legacy," she had said. She also added that Uddhav Thackeray had never taken her wishes into consideration when he decided to give her a ticket for the election.
5. However, a senior Shiv Sena leader claimed that Sawant's performance after a 2015 won wasn't satisfactory. He said that Trupti had won the election because of the sympathy she had gained after her husband died. He also added that it was the other Shiv Sainiks who worked hard to topple Narayan Rane in that election.
6. Her late husband Bala Sawant was very close to the late Balasaheb Thackeray, the Shiv Sena supremo.
7. He became a legislator within the Shiv Sena in 2014. He was earlier the corporator of his constituency in 2009. He then passed away in 2015.