India, June 10 -- In a major embarrassment for Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, his Lok Sabha candidate from Sangli constituency, Chandrahar Patil, joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde at Thane on Monday.

Patil, a wrestler who had won the state championship Maharashtra Kesari, was fielded from the south-west Maharashtra constituency by Thackeray and Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. The two had made Sangli a prestige issue even though Congress was unwilling to part with its traditional seat. Eventually, Congress rebel Vishal Patil won as an independent defeating sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sanjaykaka Patil, while Chandrahar Patil finished a poor third.

After joining Sena, Patil claimed ...