Mumbai: Shrinivas Vanga, sitting MLA from Palghar representing the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, contacted his family after a 36-hour disappearance, which began following his omission from the party’s Assembly ticket list for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
According to reports quoting his wife, Suman Vanga, he briefly returned home around 3 am, spoke with his family and left again, saying he needed rest and planned to be away for two more days.
Vanga Left Home Without Informing Anyone
Vanga had left his home in the wee hours of Tuesday without informing anyone, leaving his family anxious about his well-being. His family filed a missing person complaint, prompting a police search. Vanga’s recent distress is a result of his disappointment for not receiving a party nomination for the upcoming Assembly elections.
The MLA, son of the late BJP MP Chintaman Vanga, won his seat in 2019 as a Shiv Sena candidate before the party split. He later aligned with Shinde during the rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, hoping to secure a re-nomination.
Vanga Regrets Joining Hands With Shinde After Sena Split
Over the weekend, however, the party selected former MP Rajendra Gavit to represent Palghar, bypassing Vanga. After learning he would not be re-nominated, Vanga publicly expressed regret over siding with Shinde’s faction, calling it a ‘grave mistake’ and praised Uddhav Thackeray, describing him as a ‘dev manus‘ (God-like man).
Family members voiced concerns about Vanga’s mental state, revealing that he had become emotionally withdrawn, stopped eating, and expressed feelings of extreme distress, even mentioning self-harm. His wife mentioned that he left with only a small bag of clothes, adding to their worries.
Amid the situation, Chief Minister Shinde reportedly reached out to Vanga’s wife, offering assurances that he might still be considered for a position on the Maharashtra Legislative Council, though this remains unofficial.
Maharashtra To Vote On Nov 20, Results On Nov 23
The 288-member Assembly of the state of Maharashtra is scheduled to take place in a single phase on November 20. The votes will be counted on November 23.
