14 May,2026 10:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The induction ceremony took place at Balasaheb Bhavan in the presence of Shiv Sena MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde. Pic/Special Arrangement
Former Member of Parliament (MP) Anand Paranjpe resigned from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and officially rejoined Shiv Sena, marking his return to the party after 14 years.
According to an official statement, the induction ceremony took place at Balasaheb Bhavan in the presence of Shiv Sena MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, Maharashtra ministers Dadaji Bhuse and Uday Samant, along with several senior party leaders.
Party leaders said that Paranjpe's return reflected growing confidence in the leadership of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Speaking at the event, Dr Shrikant Shinde said Paranjpe and the Shinde family had shared close ties during his earlier stint in Shiv Sena.
He added that even while working with another political party, Paranjpe had continued to maintain strong relations with Shiv Sena leaders.
Dr Shinde also praised Paranjpe's organisational abilities and said his experience would strengthen the party structure further.
Addressing party workers, Anand Paranjpe said he had inherited Shiv Sena's ideology from his family background and had earlier served twice as an MP with the party's support.
He stated that although he had worked with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) during the intervening years, he still carried "Shiv Sena DNA".
Paranjpe also credited Eknath Shinde for supporting his earlier political journey and praised his style of governance and public-oriented decisions while serving as Chief Minister.
Paranjpe said he had returned to Shiv Sena without any expectations of a post and wanted to dedicate himself fully to strengthening the organisation under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and Dr Shrikant Shinde.
Dr Shrikant Shinde claimed that workers from different political parties were joining Shiv Sena regularly, helping the organisation expand its reach across Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, earlier, Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said he had already begun implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to reduce the use of petrol and diesel as part of ongoing fuel conservation efforts.
According to the PTI videos, speaking to reporters, Shinde said he travelled in an electric vehicle and had also decided to reduce the number of vehicles in his official convoy wherever possible.
"As for the Prime Minister's appeal to reduce the use of petrol and diesel, I have already started implementing it today itself. I myself came here in an electric vehicle," Shinde said.
He further added that only essential vehicles required for security purposes should remain part of ministerial convoys, while unnecessary vehicles should be reduced.
The statement comes amid the Maharashtra government's broader push towards austerity measures, fuel conservation and increased use of public and eco-friendly transport options by ministers and officials.
