Mumbai: Shrikant Sarmalkar, close aide of
Maharashtra Industries Minister Narayan Rane, Saturday returned
to Shiv Sena after five years in Congress.
Sarmalkar left the saffron party along with Rane in 2005,
and joined Congress. However, he did not get any important
post there, which made him disgruntled.
Sarmalkar reentered Sena today in the presence of
party chief Bal Thackeray and executive president Uddhav
Thackeray, at the Thackerays residence, ‘Matoshree’, here.
Speaking to media afterwards, Sarmalkar said, "I regret
leaving Shiv Sena. I did not get any scope to work there (in
Congress) and wanted to come back to the party from where I
started (political career)."
Uddhav Thackeray said, "It is true that for some time he
was not with us, and now he is back. There are few others who
want to return. But we will not take in everybody."
Congress sources said that Sarmalkar had been already
sidelined by Rane, following his differences with Rane`s son,
Nitesh.
PTI
