India, June 22 -- Deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant, who is an MP from Kalyan, played a major role in splitting Uddhav Thackeray's party for the second time in four years. According to party insiders, Shrikant worked on the breakaway MPs for over a year. Two of them were his party colleagues in Lok Sabha when they were together in the united Shiv Sena. He maintained cordial relations with the rest of them, with some help from, Prataprao Jadhav, Sena minister in the union government. Shrikant camped in the Capital during the entire 'operation' and played a key role in everything from logistics to legal consultation. Following the latest episode, there is a demand in the party to elevate him in the party hierarchy but several Sena leaders point out that he has already emerged as a clear number two in the party after his father. The senior Shinde has handed him the responsibility to travel in the state and build the party organisation. The orthopaedist turned politician is also playing an increasing role in taking decisions in the party. "Earlier, Doctor (as he is called by party colleagues) used to insist on maintaining a balance between personal and political life but now he has ended up working longer hours for the party," said a party legislator. There is talk within the ruling Mahayuti that Eknath Shinde was keen to win over a large chunk of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs and get them to leave the party immediately after the split in its Lok Sabha unit but this plan seems to have been put on hold for now. BJP insiders said their leadership has taken note of the widespread negative reactions to the split in the Sena (UBT). The six MPs are not only being trolled on social media but also by the public on the ground. A top state BJP leader said Shinde has been advised to go slow with further poaching plans as far as MLAs are concerned. According to Sena insiders, the Shinde camp is in touch with a handful of Thackeray's MLAs, including a vocal legislator who is unhappy because he didn't get a position of his choice. The monsoon session of the state legislature begins on Monday and there is likely to be much debate on who among Sena (UBT)'s 20 MLAs are in touch with the rival camp. Reacting to the verdict in the Pawanraje Nimbalkar murder case, Rana Jagjitsinh Patil, son of former NCP minister and a prime accused in the case Padmasinh Patil-who was acquitted-said it was not the local politics but state politics behind his father being named as an accused in the case. It was alleged that Pawanraje was killed because he emerged as a strong political rival to cousin Padmasinh. According to Rana Jagjitsinh, his father's political graph was on the rise when he got embroiled in the controversy. Padmasinh Patil was NCP MP (from Osmanabad) when he was arrested. Once a close aide of Sharad Pawar, he was being considered for the chief minister's post in 1990 when both of them were in the Congress and Pawar moved to national politics. It was not a secret that a former chief minister had paid close attention to the investigation in the initial stages and had asked the police not to spare anyone in the murder case. It is not clear if Rana is blaming him but he has now said he has some information which he will reveal at an appropriate time. Now that the CBI is going to challenge the verdict in the High Court, Rana will have a chance to reveal what he knows. It has been a year and half since the Mahayuti government was formed but there has not been a leader of the opposition in the state assembly. In the legislative council too, there is no leader of the opposition since last incumbent Ambadas Danve's tenure ended. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has the highest number of MLAs among the opposition parties and wants senior legislator Bhaskar Jadhav as opposition leader in the assembly. In the upper house of state legislature, Congress can stake claim to the post. The party's choice is Satej Patil. Both the leaders are now waiting for months for the appointment which is made by presiding officers of respective houses of the legislature. The opposition is alleging that the ruling parties are not keen to make the appointment. Will it happen in this session?...