After Rift with Congress, Rohit Tilak Likely to Join Shiv Sena Led by Eknath Shinde

Pune, 11th March 2026: Rohit Tilak, the great-grandson of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is set to leave the Indian National Congress and is likely to join the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Tilak has indicated that he may soon switch sides and align with the Shinde-led faction of the party, which uses the “bow and arrow” symbol.

Speaking to a news channel, Rohit Tilak said his differences with the Congress leadership began after the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Tilak, the Congress leadership began distancing itself from him and the Tilak family after the award was presented to the Prime Minister.

Tilak said the trust has never considered political affiliations while selecting awardees. He pointed out that the award had previously been presented to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former President Pranab Mukherjee.

“The Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust honours individuals based on their achievements, not their political party. Then why was there an objection when Prime Minister Modi was given the award?” Tilak asked.

He added that attempts were made to explain the trust’s position to the Congress leadership, but the efforts did not yield any result. “Therefore, I have decided to stop working for the Congress,” he said.

Tilak was also reportedly considered by the Shinde-led Shiv Sena for a nomination to the Rajya Sabha. However, the opportunity did not materialise after the Maha Vikas Aghadi backed senior leader Sharad Pawar for the seat. Tilak said he would accept any responsibility assigned by Eknath Shinde.

Attempts to contact Rohit Tilak for further comment remained unsuccessful.

The Tilak family has historically maintained close ties with the Congress since the pre-Independence era. Rohit Tilak’s grandfather, the late Jayant Tilak, was a Congress MP and also served as Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Rohit Tilak himself has served as the state president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and contested the Kasba Assembly seat on a Congress ticket in 2009 and 2014. He has also worked as general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.