Thackeray Faction Suffers Blow in KDMC Elections as Key Candidate Joins Shinde Camp

• Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faced a major setback in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation elections.
• Ramchandra Ganpat Mane, a Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate, switched support to Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Arjun Babu Patil.
• Mane joined Shiv Sena in the presence of MP Shrikant Shinde at his Dombivli residence.
• This defection leaves no candidate against Arjun Patil in Ward No. 30, weakening the Thackeray faction.
• A total of 22 Mahayuti candidates (15 BJP, 7 Shiv Sena) have been elected unopposed in Kalyan-Dombivli.

Why It Matters: Thackeray faction hit hard in KDMC as key candidate defects to Shinde camp, boosting Mahayuti.