Shiv Sena Legislator Srinivas Vanga Reported 'Missing' After Ticket Denial

Upset over not getting a ticket for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Shiv Sena legislator from Palghar constituency Srinivas Vanga has gone "missing".

Vanga was perturbed as the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena dropped him and nominated former minister Rajendra Gavit, who left BJP and joined Shiv Sena, from the Palghar constituency.

During the day, Vanga was in tears wondering why he was left out when the Chief Minister and 38 others, who left Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in June 2022, were renominated in the Assembly election, his wife Suman Vanga said.

The police swung into action and were looking for Vanga. In addition, a security guard has been deployed outside his home.

"Srinivas Vanga has been under stress since Monday. He asked if he was so bad that his boss dropped him. He was threatening to end his life. He left home after 7 p.m. as he was not in the mood to listen. He was not reachable since then," Suman said.

"I called up his friends and enquired about my husband. I also asked his driver and bodyguard but they were not aware of his whereabouts. My husband came out of the house on Monday evening and went alone without informing me where he was going," she said.

"My husband kept on saying that he was cheated. Uddhav Thackeray was devmanus (god man). I went with a traitor and got myself cheated,"' she added while explaining what her husband was telling her after he did not get a ticket.

She added, "Chief Minister Shinde told me on the phone that there were adverse survey reports against Srinivas and chances of his re-election were quite low. The Chief Minister also assured that Srinivas will be nominated to the Maharashtra Legislative Council. "

According to Suman, Shiv Sena Minister Sambhuraj Desai also called her and enquired about her husband.

Srinivas Vanga, the son of former BJP MP Chintaman Vanga, was elected from the Palghar Assembly seat in the 2019 elections on the united Shiv Sena ticket. However, after Eknath Shinde staged a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022, he joined him in deserting the Shiv Sena-UBT.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

(With inputs from IANS)