Thane: Members of Eknath Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray factions face off over shakha

Shinde and Thackeray supporters outside the shakha in Kopri, Thane

Even as the Election Commission is yet to decide which is the real Shiv Sena, members of the Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray-led groups faced-off over a party shakha in Kopri, Thane on Friday. This created tension in the area. The police deployed personnel and settled the dispute temporarily by giving the keys to the shakha to both groups.

While this is the first such tension over a shakha, a few days back, the Shinde and Thackeray factions clashed over possession of a library in Manorama Nagar in Thane.

The Shiv Sena shakha of Kumbharwada Kopri falls in the constituency of Chief Minister Shinde. According to a source, "There was a rumour that this shakha will be demolished. On Friday morning Thackeray faction district chief Kedar Dighe, leader Anita Birje, and a party worker entered the shakha."

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"After this Shinde group supporters started gathering. There was tension in the area as the karyakarta of both groups gathered in large numbers. The police deputed more force. After some time the police gave the keys of the Shiv Sena shakha to both factions. Ask them to use this shakha at different times, they said," added the source.

Dighe did not respond to calls. Naresh Mhaske, district chief of the Shinde faction said, "Some outsiders came and tried to create a controversy. No one has stopped anybody from coming to the shakha. Local supporters of Thackeray come to the shakha. Renovation work will start on the shakha soon."

"We received a letter yesterday night that there will be a law and order issue as there is the possibility of demolition of a Shiv Sena shakha. That's why we deployed police in the area. We have given the keys to the shakha to both groups and asked them to use it on mutual understanding," said Mamta D'Souza, senior inspector of Kopri police station. It is learnt that the letter came from the Thackeray group.