Maharashtra political crisis: The 15 MLAs standing tall beside CM Uddhav Thackeray

MLAs from Mumbai

1. Ajay Chaudhary (Shivdi): The 69-year-old is a two-time MLA from Shivdi in Mumbai and one of the oldest Shiv Sena leaders. Largely seen as a backroom operator, Chaudhary had served as a Vibhag Pramukh. His loyalty to the Thackerays is what made him the new Shiv Sena Legislative Party leader as well.

Ajay Chaudhary.

2. Ravindra Waikar (Jogeshwari): The 63-year-old is a three-time MLA and was once deemed to be very close to Uddhav Thackeray. Waikar has an astute understanding of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and has considerable clout in Mumbai.

Ravindra Waikar.

3. Sanjay Potnis (Kalina): The 66-year-old is a two-time MLA and a Thackeray loyalist.

Sanjay Potnis

4. Sunil Prabhu (Malad): The 52-year-old is a two-time MLA from Malad in Mumbai and the former mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Sunil Prabhu.

5. Prakash Phaterpekar (Chembur): The 63-year-old is a two-time MLA from Chembur and is a known Thackeray loyalist.

Prakash Phaterpekar.

6. Sunil Raut (Vikhroli): The 56-year-old is a two-time MLA from Vikhroli in Mumbai. He is the brother of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

Sunil Raut.

7. Aditya Thackeray (Worli): The 32-year-old is a first-time MLA from Worli. The heir to the Shiv Sena throne, he is the lone minister in the group of 15.

Aditya Thackeray.

8. Ramesh Korgaonkar (Bhandup): A first-time MLA from Bhandup, Korgaonkar has also served as a corporator in the BMC for four consecutive terms and is a known loyalist of the Thackerays.

Ramesh Korgaonkar.

Those from other parts of the state

1. Rajan Salvi (Rajapur): The 56-year-old is a three-time MLA from Rajapur in Konkan and is an old Shiv Sena loyalist.

Rajan Salvi.

2. Vaibhav Naik (Kudal-Malvan): The 47-year-old is a two-time MLA from Kudal Malvan and a known Shiv Sena loyalist who was instrumental in defeating Narayan Rane in the 2014 Assembly elections.

Vaibhav Naik.

3. Kailas Patil (Osmanabad): The 40-year-old is a first time MLA from Osmanabad and has pledged his allegiance to the CM Uddhav Thackeray after leaving the rebel Eknath Shinde’s camp in the middle of the night.

Kailas Patil.

4. Nitin Deshmukh (Balapur): The 46-year-old is a first-time MLA from Balapur in Akola district. He, too, returned from the rebel camp and has claimed that he was forcefully detained by the rebels.

Nitin Deshmukh.

5. Rahul Patil (Parbhani): The 46-year-old is a two-time MLA from Parbhani.

Rahul Patil.

6. Santosh Bangar (Hingoli): The 42-year-old is a first-time MLA representing Kalamnuri in Hingoli district. Bangar has been associated with the Shiv Sena for a long time and was also the in-charge of the party’s Hingoli unit.

Santosh Bangar.

7. Bhaskar Jadhav (Guhagar): The 64-year-old leader had recently joined the Shiv Sena in the run-up to the 2019 Assembly elections. It was a homecoming for Jadhav, a five-time MLA who had quit the Sena in 2004 to join the NCP.

Bhaskar Jadhav.