Ex MLA Shishir Shinde, who dug up Wankhede pitch in 1991, joins Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena

Former MLA Shishir Shinde on Monday joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with his supporters from northeast Mumbai at a Guru Purnima event in neighbouring Thane.

Shishir Shinde, who was earlier with the undivided Shiv Sena and with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Nirman Sena (MNS), quit the Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray last month, citing that he has been waiting for work in the organisation for two years.

A firebrand Shiv Sena worker, Shinde shot to fame when he, along with some other party activists, dug up the pitch of the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai in 1991 to prevent an India-Pakistan match from taking place.

He said he was an active grassroot cadre and wanted to work with Eknath Shinde who was working for the development of the state.

The chief minister said Shishir Shinde will be the deputy leader of the Shiv Sena, adding that the latter has his own style of working and has been part of several agitations during Balasaheb Thackeray’s time.

During his visit to Thane, the CM paid tribute to his mentor late Anand Dighe on the occasion of 'Guru Purnima'.

CM Shinde and several cabinet colleagues visited Anand Ashram, the headquarters of the Shiv Sena in Thane from where Dighe, a hugely popular figure, ran the party in the region.

He also paid tribute to Shiv Sena founder later Bal Thackeray.

He was accompanied by cabinet colleagues Dada Bhuse, Shabhuraj Desai, Uday samant, Sandeepan Bhumre, Gulabrao Patil as well as Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale.

CM Shinde said the state government's 'shashan aapla dari' initiative to ensure people get welfare benefits at their doorstep was getting tremendous response from the public.

Several persons attached to the Marathi and Hindi film industries too joined the Shiv Sena on the occasion and the CM assured them of all help to give a boost to the sector. PTI MR COR ARU BNM BNM