<p>Mumbai: In a jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mumbai">Mumbai</a> civic body polls, former MLA and loyalist Dagdu Sakpal joined the Eknath Shinde-headed Shiv Sena on Sunday.</p><p>Sakpal had served as an MLA multiple times from Mumbai's Lalbaug-Parel-Sewree belt, the stronghold of the Thackerays for more than five decades.</p>.Maharashtra civic polls: AAP candidate makes assurance on stamp paper ahead of Vasai municipal elections.<p>His joining of Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shinde is symbolic, as Ajay Choudhari has been representing the belt since 2014. But a former MLA joining the Shiv Sena ahead of the civic body polls comes as a boost to Shinde, who has been making efforts to penetrate the Thackeray stronghold.</p><p>Shinde last week met Sakpal, leading to speculation that he could switch loyalties.</p><p>Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including cash-rich Mumbai, are scheduled on January 15.</p>
<p>Mumbai: In a jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mumbai">Mumbai</a> civic body polls, former MLA and loyalist Dagdu Sakpal joined the Eknath Shinde-headed Shiv Sena on Sunday.</p><p>Sakpal had served as an MLA multiple times from Mumbai's Lalbaug-Parel-Sewree belt, the stronghold of the Thackerays for more than five decades.</p>.Maharashtra civic polls: AAP candidate makes assurance on stamp paper ahead of Vasai municipal elections.<p>His joining of Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shinde is symbolic, as Ajay Choudhari has been representing the belt since 2014. But a former MLA joining the Shiv Sena ahead of the civic body polls comes as a boost to Shinde, who has been making efforts to penetrate the Thackeray stronghold.</p><p>Shinde last week met Sakpal, leading to speculation that he could switch loyalties.</p><p>Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including cash-rich Mumbai, are scheduled on January 15.</p>