In crushing blow, key aide Rahul Kanal ditches Aaditya Thackray for Eknath Shinde | India News

MUMBAI: In a significant setback for the Yuva Sena led by Aaditya Thackeray, his close aide Rahul Kanal is set to join the CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Saturday. Kanal has been the UBT Sena’s face in Bandra and is known to have been close to Aaditya Thackeray since the formation of the Yuva Sena more than 10 years ago. Rahul Kanal recently quit the Yuva Sena’s core committee.
Kanal’s exit comes weeks after former Sena corporator Amey Ghole, another key member of the Yuva Sena, quit and joined the Shinde Sena.His exit, said political observers, is a big blow to the Uddhav camp ahead of the BMC polls, and he will join the Sena in the presence of CM Shinde on Saturday when Aaditya Thackeray is to lead a morcha to the BMC to protest against alleged corruption and irregularities in the civic body’s functioning.

Kanal told TOI, “This is purely a decision taken in the interest of development of Mumbai, Bandra and other regions, and for self-respect and dignity. It would have been better had the leadership resolved some issues on time and intervened, but I’m sure the CM will do justice to young workers like me and help push the development agenda. I have full faith in the CM and his leadership.” The Income-Tax department had searched Rahul Kanal’s residence last year.

A UBT Sena functionary said, “The Yuva Sena has disintegrated in a way. Almost all key core committee functionaries, including former corporators and sitting MLAs, have left. Kanal was known for his network in Bollywood and the hotel industry. He was appointed to the Shirdi temple trust and nominated as a member of the BMC education committee. Now, barring a few, only Varun Sardesai, who is Aaditya’s cousin, is left there.”
Seen as a modern face of the UBT Sena, Kanal’s name was also in the reckoning for an MLC seat in the past when the Sena (UBT) was in power.