Dussehra Rally, Shivaji Park & Crossovers: In Ongoing Rivalry, Shinde's Camp Releases Fresh Video | Crisis Explained

Dusshera festival has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing battle between the two Shiv Sena factions led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former CM Uddhav Thackeray. Both groups were recently confronted over its celebrations at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. However, the Bombay High Court allowed the Uddhav team to hold the annual Dussehra rally at the park. The victory for the Uddhav camp was followed by an attack from the Shinde camp, which released a series of videos targetting Thackeray and justifying Shinde’s rift with his camp.

Eknath Shinde-led government is intensifying its attack against Uddhav and using Navratri as a platform to reach out to people as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are due to be held in the coming months.

News18 takes a look at the political battle raging in the heart of Mumbai on Dussehra.

Sena leader from Shinde Faction Releases Videos

A Sena leader from Shinde faction has released a series of videos targeting Uddhav Thackeray and claiming to represent the true ideals of Bal Thackeray.

In the latest video released by the leader, it lists the reasons behind separating from Uddhav. The video goes on to make an emotional appeal and said that the leaders suffered and stayed silent for years under Uddhav’s leadership.

“We suffered and yet stayed silent for years only because we promised we will take care of Uddhav and Aaditya. We will keep your thoughts alive. We will walk on the thoughts given by you and by Anand Dighe. The ideology and people that bothered you, such people started getting positions in the organisation… We tried to speak about this many times, but our voice was suppressed. For the CM post, we tied up with Congress and NCP, against whom you fought all your life. Shiv Sainiks were forced to work with those who tried to arrest you… It was your wish that Sambhaji Nagar should be renamed, but despite having our government, this dream did not seem to be fulfilled. The ministers’ connections with Dawood were proved, and even then the Shiv Sena remained silent,” the video went on to say.

The leader purportedly said further, “…Now a government based on your Dharmaveer ideology exists. Eknath Shinde is now implementing Shivraj in Maharashtra. Now there is nothing to worry about. Taking your Hindutva forward.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Shinde faction also released a teaser video of their proposed Dusshera rally at Bandra Kurla Complex with the claim that the event was of the “Shiv Sena”. A 20-second video tweeted by Shinde, with the voice of late Bal Thackeray in the background, said the saffron flag of Shivaji, Shiv Sena and Hindutva should continue to flutter.

“Shiv Sena’s Dusshera rally, BKC, Bandra, Mumbai,” informed another voice-over in the video that has images of Bal Thackeray, Shinde and his mentor Anand Dighe. The Shinde faction will hold its Dussehra rally at BKC on October 5, while the rally at Shivaji Park will be led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction got the nod for the rally at the party’s traditional Shivaji Park venue after challenging the rejection of its application by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in the Bombay High Court.

Shinde-led camp also released a second teaser for the Dussehra celebration on October 5.

Why Shivaji Park Matters

Shivaji Park holds significant position in Maharashtra politics. Popularly known for being a cradle of Indian cricket where batting legend Sachin Tendulkar cut his teeth in the game, the sprawling playground in the heart of Mumbai has been a rallying centre for many social and political movements over the past century.

For Shiv Sena too, it holds a special place. Its founder late Bal Thackeray held his first political rally here on the day of Dussehra 56 years ago, an event that would recur every year thereafter. Thackeray would use these rallies to spell out the party’s political agenda from time to time, hit out at his rivals and offer motivational speeches to his followers, said veteran Sena leader and MP Gajanan Kirtikar. When Thackeray died in 2012, he was cremated here. Sena workers call Shivaji Park ‘Shiva-tirtha,’ or a holy place, that now houses a memorial to Bal Thackeray.

Shivaji Park was the latest battleground between the two warring factions of the Shiv Sena. Both sides had decided to hold Dussehra rallies in Shivaji Park. However, the Bombay High Court has allowed Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena to hold the party’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park on October 5, 2022.

‘Kamalabai’ Vs ‘Penguin Sena’

The bitterness between the two factions appears to be growing by the day as leaders from both the parties are increasingly indulging in acerbic attacks, with the former labelling the ruling outfit as ‘Kamalabai’ and getting the ‘Penguin Sena’ jibe in return. ‘Kamalabai’ is a reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) poll symbol – Kamal or lotus, while the term ‘Penguin Sena’ is used by the opponents to deride the Thackeray-led Sena.

Bringing penguins to Mumbai was a pet project of Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray and chief of Yuva Sena, the party’s youth wing. Eight Humboldt penguins were brought to the city’s Byculla zoo from Seoul in South Korea in 2016.

But this verbal war is not just limited to the Thackeray-led Sena and the BJP alone as the former has also been passing vitriolic remarks against the party’s rebel legislators, who are now part of the state government. The Thackeray faction has been calling the group of rebel lawmakers led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as gaddar’ (traitors) and taunting them with ’50 khoke (boxes)’ remark, implying that each MLA of the Shinde faction got Rs 50 crore to switch loyalty.

Leading the attack against the dissidents is Aaditya Thackeray, who last month dubbed state Health Minister Tanaji Sawant as khekda (crab). And this verbal exchange is expected to escalate further ahead of the crucial polls to the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which both the warring sides are vying to win.

Balasaheb’s Aides Join Shinde Camp

Last week, Champa Singh Thapa and Moreshwar Raje who had served Bal Thackeray at his residence ‘Matoshree’ for almost three decades joined the Shinde faction.

Thapa, the trusted Man Friday of the Sena patriarch and helped him in his daily chores, had served him devotedly for 27 years before the Thackeray senior’s death in November 2012.

So much so that Sena president Uddhav Thackeray acknowledged his service by keeping Thapa by his side while performing the senior Thackeray’s last rites. Thapa would attend to senior Thackeray’s phone calls and also pass on his messages to whoever called him.

Raje, who also used to attend phone calls at ‘Matoshree’ for Bal Thackeray, had spent at least 35 years in the Thackeray residence in suburban Bandra in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, a large number of Shiv Sena workers from Mumbai’s Worli joined the CM Shinde’s faction at his official residence on Sunday.

Will Milind Narvekar be Next to join Shinde camp?

Amid the ongoing tussle, there are speculations that Shiv Sena secretary and Uddhav Thackeray’s long-trusted aide Milind Narvekar might join CM Eknath Shinde’s faction.

“After (Champa Singh) Thapa, now Milind Narvekar is on his way,” Maharashtra minister Gulabrao Patil reportedly said while addressing a rally in Dhule on Saturday.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Narvekar has remained in touch with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even after Shiv Sena split. Though it has been speculated for long that Narvekar could join Shinde faction, this is the first time any leader has publicly claimed about the possible move.

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