Srinivas Vanga, the Shiv Sena MLA from Palghar, has reportedly gone missing following the party’s decision to deny him a nomination for the upcoming assembly elections. Vanga was last seen on Monday, a day after the Shiv Sena announced former MP Rajendra Gavit as its candidate for the Palghar seat. During a press conference, Vanga emotionally expressed his feelings of betrayal by party chief and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, leading to concerns about his well-being.
Family members of Vanga have expressed fears that he may be contemplating self-harm, but they have not yet filed a missing person report. On Tuesday, Palghar Collector Govind Bodke confirmed that Vanga was missing and stated that a search operation had commenced. Palghar Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil mentioned that the police are in communication with Vanga’s family and are awaiting a formal missing complaint to officially launch a search. However, police sources indicated that an unofficial search for Vanga had already begun due to concerns within the Shiv Sena about potential public backlash should anything happen to him.
Vanga, the son of former BJP MP Chintaman Vanga, joined the Shiv Sena in 2018 following his father’s death. He had aligned himself with the faction led by Eknath Shinde during the party split last year, playing a significant role in the political maneuvering that led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government. Notably, a planned birthday celebration for his son coincided with the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs’ retreat to Gujarat, where they stayed until a new BJP-Shiv Sena government was formed.
In a distressing turn of events, Vanga broke down while speaking to reporters on Monday, lamenting his decision to leave the Uddhav Thackeray faction. His wife, Suman Vanga, publicly shared her concerns, stating that he had stopped eating and was showing signs of depression. She lamented, “He said that Uddhav is a nice person and he did a wrong thing by trusting Shinde. All other Shiv Sena MLAs have been renominated, and only my husband has been left out. If something happens to him, whom should I blame?”
A senior leader within the Shiv Sena indicated that they had received concerning reports about Vanga’s state of mind, noting that he had been avoiding contact with others despite warnings about his mental health.
Meanwhile, Rajendra Gavit filed his nomination papers on Tuesday, with support from prominent party leaders, including Thane MP Naresh Mhaske. In contrast, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has nominated Jayendra Dubala for the Palghar constituency. The unfolding situation around Vanga highlights the intense emotional and political turmoil within the Shiv Sena as it gears up for the elections.
