JOIN USBal Thackeray’s former man Friday, long-time Matoshree staffer join Eknath Shinde’s camp
In what could only be called a drastic setback to Uddhav Thackeray, Champa Singh Thapa, man Friday to the late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, and Matoshree’s phone operator Moreshwar Raje, joined the party faction of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Thapa and Raje had served the Thackeray family for close to three decades.
Thapa, who hails from Nepal, had always been seen with Balasaheb—he always stood behind the Sena supremo and attended and organised everything that Balasaheb needed. Thapa came to Mumbai in the mid-80s and landed a job in Goregaon, where he was spotted by Thackeray’s late son Jaidev who brought him to Matoshree. Thapa went on to serve Balasaheb till the latter’s death in 2012.
Raje, who spent close to 35 years at the Thackeray residence in Bandra, used to attend phone calls at Matoshree.
The two were received with much fanfare—Shinde greeted them each with a shawl and a bouquet at Tembhi Naka in Thane, during the beginning of Jay Ambe Dharmadaya Vishwastha Sanstha’s Navratri festival.
“On the occasion of Navratri, Thapa and Raje gave support to us to take the ideals of Balasaheb ahead,” Shinde said.
Thapa and Raje’s defection is a big blow to party president Uddhav Thackeray, and his son and Yuva Sena President Aaditya Thackeray.
Shinde had already been endorsed by Uddhav’s former sister-in-law Smita Thackeray and nephew—son of late Bindumadhav—Nihar Thackeray, who congratulated him on being appointed chief minister.