Mumbai: For the primary time within the 57 years of the Shiv Sena’s historical past, there might be two basis day celebrations in Mumbai on Monday.
The rival factions of Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde will organise the 2 occasions.
This will even be the primary time the inspiration day might be celebrated because the occasion break up final yr when Shinde together with 39 different occasion MLAs rebelled in opposition to the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on 20 June, 2022.
Since then, the occasion’s identify and the image of ‘bow and arrow’ was allotted to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who shaped the federal government with the assist of the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP).
Like the 2 Dussehra rallies, Uddhav and Shinde are anticipated to ship their speeches virtually on the similar time within the night in what is predicted to be a present of one-upmanship for claiming Bal Thackeray’s legacy and beliefs.
The Shinde-led Shiv Sena may have its occasion at NESCO floor in Goregaon in northwest Mumbai, whereas the Shiv Sena (UBT) will maintain its occasion in Shanmukhanand Corridor at Sion in central Mumbai. Each side declare to be the true Shiv Sena.
“Many tried to complete Shiv Sena however each time it got here again strongly. Shiv Sena got here to energy in Maharashtra and Delhi solely due to Balasaheb Thackeray. No one can steal Balasaheb Thackeray ideology,” Shiv Sena UBT chief Sanjay Raut instructed reporters in Mumbai.
Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde had stated that employees from throughout Maharashtra will arrive at Nesco floor on Monday in a present of energy.
The Shiv Sena was based in 1966 by Bal Thackeray, who championed the reason for the sons of the soil. Later, Thackeray turned to Hindutva and shaped a authorities with the BJP for the primary time in 1995.
After Thackeray died in 2012, his son Uddhav led the occasion till a vertical break up by Shinde created two factions. The Uddhav faction is a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which additionally included the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Occasion (NCP).
Additionally Learn: How Uddhav is rebuilding his Sena for 2024 after Shinde’s defection blow
Poster, video wars
Forward of the inspiration day celebration, the Uddhav faction launched a video with Shiv Sena theme tune music within the backdrop. The video confirmed a timeline of the occasion and the way it was based by Bal Thackeray.
Apparently, the video stops in 2019 when Uddhav grew to become the chief minister of the MVA authorities.
“It’s the basis day right this moment. We have now weathered many storms within the final 57 years…many individuals got here and went, however the Shiv Sena withstood these storms,” Raut stated.
However, the Shinde faction has put in hoardings which prominently posted footage of Bal Thackeray together with Anand Dighe, the political mentor of the Maharashtra chief minister. “Amhi Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. Asel Amchi Kayam Saath. 365 divas, 24 taas (We’re Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena. We pledge our assist endlessly one year, 24 hours),” reads the posters.
On Sunday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) organised a gathering of occasion employees in Worli Mumbai the place Uddhav attacked the state authorities in addition to questioned PM Narendra Modi on his silence over Manipur.
However on the inspiration day occasion, he’s anticipated to offer a speech strongly criticising the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led authorities forward of the elections.
In the meantime, sources within the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena instructed ThePrint that the CM’s recognition is rising and because the identify and image is together with his facet, they’re the ’actual’ Shiv Sena carrying ahead the legacy of Bal Thackeray who arrange the occasion 57 years in the past.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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