Urmila Matondkar has joined Shiv Sena in presence of party chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. “She (Urmila Matondkar) may join Shiv Sena tomorrow. She is a Shivsainik. We are happy that she is joining the Shiv Sena. This will strengthen the party’s ‘mahila aghadi’,” Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had earlier said on Monday.
Matondkar will be an additional resource for the Sena to put out its messages on a national level. Party insiders said Matondkar is a well-known face nationally, has a good social connect within Maharashtra and will become an additional voice for the party on various issues.
Welcoming Urmila to the party, Yuva Sena President and Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray tweeted, "Welcomed @UrmilaMatondkar ji into the @ShivSena family today, look forward to working together and serve our nation"
Welcomed @UrmilaMatondkar ji into the @ShivSena family today, look forward to working together and serve our nation pic.twitter.com/uGfOzYPcJx
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) December 1, 2020
ANI confirmed the news and tweeted, "Actor turned politician Urmila Matondkar joins Shiv Sena, in the presence of party president Uddhav Thackeray"
Mumbai: Actor turned politician Urmila Matondkar joins Shiv Sena, in the presence of party president Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/wMnZJatzHr
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2020
For the unversed, on September 10, 2019, Urmila had abruptly quit the Congress Party. "I have resigned from the Indian National Congress," Urmila had said in a terse statement on her decision.
An articulate and popular actress, Urmila had earlier joined the Congress on March 27, 2019, and later contested the Mumbai North Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Gopal Shetty. Despite the debacle, she remained a high-profile leader who weathered many a storm including the resignation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress President, followed by a string of changes in the Mumbai Congress. However, she had quit in just five months.
(Source: ANI)
