Sachin Ahir May Not Be Disqualified Despite Defecting From UBT To Shinde Sena: 3 Reasons Why

Published 1 July 2026 · india

Sachin Ahir May Not Be Disqualified Despite Defecting From UBT To Shinde Sena: 3 Reasons Why Written By, Last Updated: July 01, 2026, 13:44 IST

Sachin Ahir May Not Be Disqualified Despite Defecting From UBT To Shinde Sena: 3 Reasons Why Written By, Last Updated: July 01, 2026, 13:44 IST UBT to Shinde Sena switch: 3 reasons why the Anti-Defection law may not apply in Sachin Ahir's case Rapid Read Sachin Ahir with Eknath Shinde. (X) In a major twist to the Sena versus Sena battle, Sachin Ahir, Member of Legislative Council (MLC) and a key aide of Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT), defected to the Shinde Sena on Tuesday. Can he be disqualified under the Anti-Defection Law? THREE WAYS IN WHICH SACHIN AHIR MAY BE PROTECTED 1. Protection via the Deputy Chairperson’s Post Sachin Ahir has filed his nomination as the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s candidate for the post of Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council. According to Paragraph 5 of the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, individuals elected to high constitutional positions (such as Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chairman, and Deputy Chairman) are explicitly exempt from disqualification proceedings while holding office.

Even if the Shiv Sena (UBT) initiates anti-defection proceedings, legal challenges will face substantial hurdles as long as he remains in this chair. 3 Reasons Why Sachin Ahir’s Exit Is A Massive Blow To Not Just Sena UBT, But Aaditya Thackeray Too 2. Original Party Symbol and Registration Ahir was originally elected to the Legislative Council on July 8, 2022, before the undivided Shiv Sena formally split. Because he was elected on the undivided party’s “bow and arrow" symbol, state legislature records still legally register him as a generic “Shiv Sena" MLC rather than a “Shiv Sena (UBT)" MLC. DCM Shinde’s faction holds the recognised title and symbol of the original party. Consequently, the Shinde camp maintains that Ahir has technically “returned to his parent party" rather than defecting, neutralising standard anti-defection metrics, say experts. 3. Independence of the Election Nomination State legislature officials have clarified that submitting a nomination form for the Deputy Chairperson election does not require filing through a specific political party.

Because the action itself is non-partisan on paper, the act of filing the nomination does not automatically trigger the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership is examining its legal options to challenge the move, top legal experts and state assembly officials largely agree that Ahir is legally secure against immediate disqualification. HOW MANY MLCS DOES SENA UBT HAVE? The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party currently has 5 Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. The party’s strength dropped from 6 to 5 following a significant political shift with Ahir’s exit. Current Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC List The 5 remaining MLCs representing the Thackeray faction are Ambadas Danve Anil Parab Milind Narvekar Sunil Shinde Jagannath Abhyankar With Sachin Ahir’s exit, Shiv Sena (UBT) is now tied with the Indian Congress (which also holds 5 seats). News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Manjiri Joshi At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci...