It's Sena vs Sena battle yet again to claim Bal Thackeray's legacy on party's foundation day

Almost a year after the split, as the rival Shiv Sena factions are all set to hold parallel events to celebrate the party’s foundation day in Mumbai on Monday (June 19), the two camps seem to be at loggerheads to project themselves as the “original Sena”.

Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction is busy wooing Thackeray camp leaders ahead of the mega event, as Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Manisha Kayande joined the former on Sunday evening, alleging that Uddhav Thackeray is “inaccessible for feedback on the party affairs”. It was the second setback to Uddhav camp in as many days, as senior leader Shishir Shinde also quit the party a day earlier. Kayande said she waited for a year to see if the Thackeray-led faction would introspect over why party workers were leaving Shiv Sena (UBT). She was made secretary of Shiv Sena and also its spokesperson. “The Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde is the original Sena which belongs to Balasaheb Thackeray,” she said.

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Former MLA Shishir Shinde too had hit out against Thackeray while quitting the party, alleging that he was given the post of Deputy Leader of Shiv Sena only for name’s sake. One of the old-timers in Shiv Sena, Shinde had hogged the limelight in October 1991 when he along with other Sena workers had dug up the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai ahead of the India-Pakistan match. He had joined Raj Thackeray’s MNS in 2006 and had returned to the Sena fold in 2018.

Poster war on Mumbai streets

Meanwhile, the stage is set for separate events of the two factions to mark the party’s foundation day. While Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will address a rally at Goregaon, the Uddhav Thackeray camp will hold its rally at Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion.

A poster war has erupted on the streets of Mumbai between the two rival Sena factions to target each other and project themselves as the “true inheritor” of Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. Shinde faction’s hoardings had pictures of Bal Thackeray, his political mentor Anand Dighe, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the chief minister alongside Maharasthra’s map in the backdrop. On the other hand, the Shiv Sena (UBT) hoardings are entirely focused on the Thackeray clan with pictures of Bal Thackeray, his son Uddhav Thackeray and grandson Aaditya Thackeray. Along with their pictures, reads a message, “Nishtavanancha kutumbhshohala; Shiv Sena parivar jaga vegla” (This is the gathering of die-hard loyalists. Shiv Sena family is different from the world).

The Shinde faction’s flag has prominently displayed its party symbol ‘bow and arrow’, whereas Thackeray camp’s hoarding and flags display ‘flaming torch’ as its symbol. The message on Shinde faction’s posters reads: “Amhi Balasahebanchi ShivSena. Asel Amchi Kayam Saath. 365 divas, 24 taas” (We are Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena. We pledge our support forever 365 days, 24 hours).

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Preparations on war footing

Both the factions have pulled out all stops to ensure that their respective events turn out to be a grand success. Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said the party workers from across the state will converge in Mumbai for the event.

Sena (UBT) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on Sunday said that Uddhav Thackeray will address the party conclave in south-central Mumbai, the assembly seat of his son and former minister Aaditya Thackeray.

Aaditya Thackeray and senior Sena leader Subhash Desai will inaugurate the conclave. A film on the works carried out by Uddhav Thackeray during his tenure as the chief minister will also be screened, a report in the Saamana said. Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve and Sanjay Raut, who is a Rajya Sabha member, will also address party workers at the conclave, the Saamana added.

Also read: Shiv Sena rival claims 22 MLAs and 9 MPs led by Shinde may leave party

The rebellion

Exactly a year ago, in June last year, Eknath Shinde, then a minister in Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, raised a banner of revolt against his boss and toppled the MVA regime of the Sena, NCP and Congress with the support of 39 party MLAs.

Shinde walked away with a majority of Sena MLAs and MPs and went on to become the chief minister in alliance with the BJP whose leader Devendra Fadnavis took over as his deputy. The Election Commission of India subsequently granted his faction the original party name and “bow and arrow” symbol. The Thackeray group was named Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).