Thane: Strongman Kalani, BJP MLA Ailani unite for Shrikant Shinde in Ulhasnagar

In Ulhasnagar strongman Pappu Kalani and BJP MLA Kumar Ailani who are usually on opposite sides are now campaigning together for the Shiv Sena candidate who is also Chief Minister Eknath Shindersquos son Dr Shrikant Shinde This unexpected alliance has surprised many locals and raised questions about the motives behind it Some people believe its a sign that political alliances can change quickly especially when it comes to supporting Shrikant ShindeHowever the Kalani family insists theyre backing Shinde and not the NDA while Ailani claims theyre supporting both BJP and Shiv Sena candidate Shrikant Shinde Despite their collaboration in the campaign both will still be in Opposition in the assembly Their joint campaign in Ulhasnagar on Wednesday caught the attention of many sparking discussions on social media and reminding people of the longstanding rivalries between the two familiesmidday looked into Ulhasnagars political situation and discovered that Dr Shinde has more support there than in neighbouring areas like KalyanDombivli and MumbraKausa This is why Shiv Sena is focusing on winning over the majority of voters in Ulhasnagar We also talked to Kalani and Ailani to understand the situation about their unexpected allianceOmi Kalani son of former MLA Pappu Kalani said We announced our support for Shrikant Shinde in the Lok Sabha election a few months ago On Wednesday there was a campaign for Dr Shinde in Ulhasnagar and we were invited to join We didnt know that the BJP or NDA would also be there Right now our support is for Dr Shinde not NDA Dr Shinde is doing good work so we back him However our opposition to the BJP or NDA remains We used to have an alliance with BJP in the councillor election but this time well run independently with the Team Omi Kalani party Ill also ensure that many of our candidates who didnt get tickets last time will get one this time Its the same for the assembly we have our own partyKumar Ailani the BJP MLA from Ulhasnagar said Considering Pappu Kalanis criminal background he cant contest the election due to pending cases against him Since they are supporting Dr Shinde weve joined forces for campaigning Currently were fully dedicated to Dr Shinde and his alliancerdquoUlhasnagar has a total of 256431 voters including 139338 males 116998 females and 95 transgender individuals Ulhasnagars vote bank holds significant importance this time with Dr Shinde securing the majority of votes in the last election In the Kalyan constituency areas like Kalwa Dombivli and Kalyan have diverse populations including Marathi Tamil Kerala and Uttar Pradesh residents where Dr Shinde enjoys considerable support said a source However theres apprehension over the influence of the Uddhav Thackeray faction which could impact Shindes votesMumbra with over 2 lakh minority voters tends to favour the Thackeray faction posing a challenge Additionally in Kalyan East dominated by BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad there might be a shift given recent incidents like the firing on Mahesh Gaikwad This rivalry could affect Shrikant Shindes vote as Gaikwad may oppose him indirectly Sources also mentioned that the 27 villages in Kalyan which abstained from the last Lok Sabha elections are now leaning towards ShindePolitical backgroundUlhasnagar has been under Pappu Kalanis influence since 1986 when he became Mayor of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Council Despite facing legal issues he served as MLA five times winning two elections while in jail The Kalani family held control over the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation from 1990 to 2004Fight between Kalani AilaniPappu Kalani lost to BJPs MLA Kumar Ailani in 2009 but his wife Jyoti won in 2014 while he was in jail Ailani reclaimed the seat in 2019 narrowly defeating Jyoti Despite the loss Jyoti garnered 41000 votes Pancham Omis wife previously served as Mayor of the Ulhasnagar Municipal CorporationKalani family rivalry with AilaniOn February 27 1990 an argument between BJP leaders Ghanshyam Bathija and Pappu Kalani over bogus voting led to Ghanshyams fatal shooting outside Pinto Park Ghanshyams brother Inder accused Pappu of the murder but later Inder himself was brutally killed in the same park Pappu was implicated in both crimesHe was sentenced to life in prison for Inders murder in December 2013 but in March 2020 he was temporarily released on parole due to COVID19 restrictions and remains in Ulhasnagar with his family