Former Latur district chief of the Shiv Sena Balwant Jadhav on Sunday said he was joining the faction of the party led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Jadhav said his respect for Uddhav Thackeray had not diminished at all but he was joining the Shinde faction due to the inept leadership of former Aurangabad Lok Sabha MP Chandrakant Khaire.

"I am unhappy with the leadership of Khaire. He tried to diminish the Sena in Latur. My love and respect for Uddhav Thackeray will always remain. Eknath Shinde has taken steps to boost the strength of the Sena," Jadhav, considered a close aide of former state minister Diwakar Raote, said.

The Shiv Sena should not have allied with parties like the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress as this is a rejection of the thoughts and ideals of (party founder) Balasaheb Thackeray, he claimed.

Jadhav was chief of Latur district unit of the Sena between 2000 and 2003 and district coordinator from 2016 to 2018.