Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 12: Using the Dussehra rallies to show one-upmanship over the other with the coming elections in mind, the rival factions of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra furiously attacked each other on Saturday claiming themselves to be the “real Shiv Sena.”
While the Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held the Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan, the Uddhav Thackeray led the Shiv Sena (UBT) rally at Shivaji Park, the original venue. Like last year, this year too both factions released video trailers seeking to one-up the other in their claim to be the real keepers of founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy.
The Election Commission is expected to announce Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections after Dussehra and the political parties believe that polls can be held mid-November. In such a case, the Dussehra rallies serve as the perfect platform for mainstream political parties to show their strength and blow the poll bugle in Maharashtra.
Slamming the UBT Sena, Mr Shinde recalled Balasaheb Thackeray’s slogan, “Garv se kaho hum Hindu hain,” and said some people feel allergic to repeat it, “but we feel proud saying it.” Equating UBT with AIMIM, Mr Shinde said like the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party, the UBT was also indulging in Muslim appeasement policies. He asserted that the Lok Sabha poll success of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was like a flash in the pan which won’t be replicated in the upcoming assembly polls.
“Maha Vikas Aghadhi’s Lok Sabha poll success in Maharashtra was accidental, not permanent. Shiv Sena won 7 seats in a direct fight against Sena elections, to six. “This success shows we are the real Shiv Sena,” Shinde added.
Recalling his rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership in June 2022, Shinde said he freed the real Shiv Sena from the clutches of those who betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideals.
Addressing the party’s Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says, “In the Haryana elections, the Election Commission website showed Congress getting 72 seats in the morning, but in the afternoon, the BJP formed the government. How did this miracle happen? This is only EVM fraud, nothing else, but this will not happen in the Maharashtra elections.”
Addressing the party’s Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said, “Amit Shah came to Maharashtra and he said this time only Mahayuti but in 2019 he said something else… I am not fighting only for myself I am fighting for all of you. They sold Dharavi to Adani and the people of Dharavi are facing many problems. I assure all of you and promise you that when we come to power I will cancel this project of Adani in Dharavi… I want to tell the CJI that if you want to make history then give the right decision. You are only speaking, not giving any decision. You do aarti with Narendra Modi it is fine but if you do not give any decision then everyone will lose faith in the judiciary. People believe only in judiciary and democracy.
Referring to the collapse of the Shivaji statue, Mr Thackeray said, “It (Mahayuti government) built the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj only for votes and that statue collapsed, but I want to tell you and promise you that when we come to power, we will build a temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in every district of Maharashtra. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a vote bank for them, but for us he is God. I respect RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, but I don’t like his views. He is saying come together to save Hindutva, why didn’t you or Modi save Hindutva in the last 10 years?” Mr Thackeray asked.
Attacking the BJP, he said the party should be ashamed of calling itself “Bharatiya” as the party was no longer a party of the people. He also posed a question to the RSS and said the Sangh introspect whether it agreed with ‘today’s ‘hybrid’ BJP. He said he parted ways with BJP as he did not believe in its version of Hindutva. “BJP is like Kauravas, smacks of arrogance,” he said.
He said he was ready to fight against the “corrupt” Delhi government. “I am ready to fight against this Delhi rule and corrupt government. Late Ratan Tata once came to my house and after returning from ‘Matoshree’ he told me that Uddhav you and I have a legacy and heritage behind us which we have to take forward. Ratan Tata has the legacy of his father and I have the legacy of my father Balasaheb Thackeray. We are the real Shiv Sena and Balasaheb Thackeray’s name is with me.”