Mumbai Dussehra rallies: It will be Uddhav Thackeray vs Eknath Shinde

Vibha Sharma

New Delhi, October 3

A day after a large number of Shiv Sena workers from the Worli area joined the ruling Eknath Shinde faction, sounding yet another setback for the Uddhav Thackeray camp, the two sides are now preparing for a mega show of strength in Mumbai with individual rallies on Dussehra festival. The factions have also initiated a video war to claim the legacy of Bal Thackeray—the founder of Shiv Sena.

While a video shared by the official Twitter handle of Shiv Sena showed Uddhav Thackeray addressing a large gathering, Shinde said a large number of Sena workers will attend his Dussehra rally. Amid the ongoing dispute, Thackeray also said that Dussehra gatherings keep happening but there is only one Shiv Sena Dussehra rally, which will be at the Shivaji Park. 

The Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Dadar has been a tradition since the inception of the Shiv Sena but the year’s event has been in the spotlight for other reasons, basically permission issues. Both the sides were demanding Shivaji Park as the venue. However, the Bombay High Court allowed the Uddhav Thackeray side to hold its rally at the park, leaving Eknath Shinde to hold his event at the BKC—the Bandra-Kurla Complex.

Leaders from the Shinde sides have been urging supporters to turn out in huge numbers for the Chief Minister’s rally in Mumbai instead of going to the Shivaji Park grounds—the location of the rally since 1966. 

According to Shinde, “lakhs of people” from across Maharashtra will be present at the BKC grounds. “We are taking forward the ideology of Balasaheb, that’s why we are getting good support from the people,” he was quoted as saying. Dismissing the argument that the BKC rally was actually a show of strength by his government, he said: “We are just working for the people. People know who is doing the real work.”

Claiming to be the “real” Shiv Sena, the Thackeray and Shinde factions have been fighting over the election symbol. The Supreme Court has left it for the Election Commission to decide the matter. 

 The Shinde side says they have the majority to prove the claim before the Election Commission. “We have 40 out of 55 (Shiv Sena) MLAs, besides 10 independent MLAs. We have 12 out of 18 MPs. Lakhs of Sena cadres are with us. The majority is clear,” they say. 

Coming out in support of the beleaguered Uddhav Thackeray, MVA member has declared his side to be the “real” Sena. 

The developments come ahead of the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the first big political test of the two sides and their claims over the Bal Thackeray legacy.