A Shiv Sena MLA from Solapur district in Maharashtra on Sunday claimed that he won the 2019 elections only due to the support of the BJP, the NCP and other small parties. Addressing a gathering in Pandharpur, MLA Shahajibapu Patil, who represents the Sangola constituency, also alleged that senior legislators like NCP’s Babanrao Shinde are deprived of a ministerial berth in the MVA government.

Patil claimed that he was not given any ministry and was asked to keep quiet by his party after the elections. “There are only 1,100 votes of Shiv Sena in the tehsil. Despite that I was elected as an MLA due to the support of the BJP, NCP and other parties,” Patil claimed. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government also comprising the NCP and Congress.