Mumbai, July 1 -- In a fresh setback for the Shiv Sena (UBT), senior MLC Sachin Ahir joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday and filed his nomination for the post of deputy chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council as the Mahayuti alliance candidate.

Ahir filed his nomination in the presence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar. The ruling alliance enjoys a majority in the Legislative Council, making Ahir the frontrunner for the post.

A former MLA from Worli and a close associate of Aaditya Thackeray, Ahir began his political career with the Congress before moving to the Nationalist Congress Party. He joined the undivided Shiv Sena in 2019 and remained with the...