Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) Sunday introduced its plans to organise “Marathi Dandiya” forward of the much-anticipated Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC) elections.
The occasion, which will probably be organised at Abhyudaya Nagar in Mumbai’s Sewri — a predominantly Marathi-speaking space — is scheduled to happen between 30 September and 4 October.
“For the final two-and-half years, Hindu festivals have been suppressed by the federal government,” stated BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha, one of many principal organisers of the occasion, stated at a press convention Sunday. “We’ve got organised a grand Marathi Dandiya for 5 days. I’m hoping that the state authorities will give permission to play the loudspeaker until 12 am over the last 3-4 days.”
Though primarily a garba occasion, the occasion will see a number of Marathi artistes carry out. Avadhoot Gupte, a singer who primarily works within the Marathi film trade, is amongst those that have been roped in to carry out on the occasion.
“We artistes usually get invited for varied occasions throughout garba the place we carry out Hindi/Gujarati songs. However that is the primary time such an occasion is being organised for Marathi artistes,” Gupte stated on the press convention. “I imagine Marathi manoos will now get their very own floor the place they will carry out Marathi songs.”
The occasion comes because the BJP tries to clinch Marathi voters, which have been historically the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s base, forward of the elections to BMC’s 227 seats, due both later this 12 months or early subsequent 12 months.
In August, the BJP organised as many as 370 dahi handi programmes throughout Maharashtra and even gave insurance coverage covers of Rs 10 lakh for 20,000 Govindas — those that take part within the dahi handi celebrations.
The get together additionally organized for free buses to take folks again to their native villages in Konkan — historically a Shiv Sena stronghold — for the Ganpati competition, which it celebrated on a grand scale.
The Sena sees the ‘Marathi Dandiya’ occasion as BJP’s try at attempting to win the BMC elections.
“Individuals of all castes are concerned on this competition. However BJP desires to now have a good time Marathi Navratri [and] Marathi Dandiya. This exhibits how they need to acquire a bonus earlier than the BMC elections. However folks of Mumbai see the whole lot clearly,” Anand Dubey, a spokesperson of the Shiv Sena’s Thackeray faction, advised ThePrint.
The BJP, nonetheless, denies that the occasion is being organised with elections to BMC — India’s richest municipal physique — in thoughts.
“BJP has been organising garba and dandiya for Gujaratis yearly. This 12 months we’ve got simply added one for Marathi folks,” Vinod Mishra, a BJP group chief within the BMC, advised ThePrint. “This has nothing to do with the election as a result of subsequent 12 months, when there isn’t an election, we’ll nonetheless proceed [with] one thing or the opposite.”
Additionally Learn: ‘Invaders and protectors’ — what Uddhav’s speech says about his political priorities
Successful over Marathi voters
Beginning 30 September, the garba occasion will start with an “aarti” at 7 pm, adopted by people songs, Kotecha, an MLA from Mulund, stated.
Whereas Gupte will carry out on all 5 days, his co-performers — different Marathi artistes resembling Vaishali Samant and Bela Shende — will change each evening.
“We had beforehand shortlisted three areas, Jamboree Maidan in Worli, Mahalaxmi Race Course, and Abhyudaya Nagar in Sewri, however lastly zeroed in on Sewri,” Kotecha stated.
This venue may have a capability to host 14,000-15,000 folks. Free passes for the occasion will probably be accessible at BJP places of work.
BJP chief Mishra advised ThePrint that whereas the occasion just isn’t solely for Marathi audio system, they count on extra Marathi folks to attend it due to the demographics of the realm.
“After celebrating Janmasthami and Ganeshotsav, now Navratri will probably be celebrated in a grand means. As our chief, (deputy CM) Devendra Fadnavis, stated each Hindu competition will now be celebrated with a lot fanfare. So Navratri may also be like that,” Kotecha stated on the press convention.
Marathi voters have historically backed the Shiv Sena in BMC elections. This vote financial institution cut up with the formation of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in 2006, with the MNS having 28 corporators in BMC in 2012. That tally, nonetheless, fell to seven in 2017.
In 2017, the BJP and Sena fought the BMC elections individually, with the previous profitable 82 seats and the latter 84.
With the cut up within the Sena this 12 months, the BJP hopes that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp will have the ability to woo some Marathi voters.
Sushma Andhare, a pacesetter of the Shiv Sena, sees the occasion as an try and consolidate the Hindu vote financial institution.
“BJP is attempting to communalise the elections by attempting to consolidate the Hindu vote financial institution,” Andhare stated. “They need to divide the society on Hindutva and that’s why they’re claiming that Hindu festivals are celebrated throughout their regime. Nonetheless, Shiv Sena’s Hindutva is all-inclusive and other people can see that.”
Like Mishra, Kotecha additionally denies the occasion was held with BMC elections in thoughts.
“We imagine that voters could also be Marathi, Gujarati, [or] Hindi, all imagine in Modi and within the final eight years, the modifications within the nation are being felt by everybody,” he stated on the press convention. “So not the whole lot is for politics.”
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
Additionally Learn: Shiv Sena (Thackeray) revives nativist roots to counter CM Shinde’s declare to get together legacy