Ahead of their upcoming Dussehra rallies on October 24, both factions of the Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, have released teaser videos where they take jabs at each other.
Following last year’s division within the Shiv Sena, triggered by Eknath Shinde, two Dussehra rallies are scheduled to take place in Mumbai, with Uddhav-led Sena’s event set for Shivaji Park ground in Dadar and CM Shinde-led Sena’s rally to be held at Azad Maidan ground in South Mumbai.
In their teaser videos and posters, both factions are vying for the legacy of late Sena founder Bal Thackeray while engaging in pointed exchanges. Sena UBT’s teaser video takes a swipe at CM Shinde and his associates, branding them as turncoats. It reads, “Some people are turncoats… they sell themselves for money. But real men cannot be sold. One place for real men is Shivtirth Dadar. One leader, one thought, and one ground for the Dussehra rally – the gathering of real men.” The video features Shiv Sainiks holding placards with the phrase ‘rally of the loyalist… loyalist Shiv Sainiks’. Shinde-led Sena counters by referring to its rally as that of Balasaheb’s Sena, utilizing an old speech by Sena founder Bal Thackeray in their teaser. “Hinduism of the Saheb, discipleship of the Saheb! Shiv Sena’s Dussehra gathering… chalo Azad Maidan,” states their teaser. In response to these developments, Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut labeled CM Shinde’s rally as a “duplicate,” asserting that only duplicate people in the BJP would accept it. He stressed that Sena UBT’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai holds a tradition and legacy of over five decades and claimed that only a Thackeray could chart a course for Maharashtra and the nation from this venue. The stage is set for a repeat of last year’s confrontation between the two groups as they vie for the same venue for their Dussehra rallies. Both factions submitted applications to the BMC to obtain permission, which were ultimately denied. Last year, the Bombay High Court allowed Sena (UBT) to hold the event at Shivaji Park, while Shinde-led Sena held its rally at MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The undivided Shiv Sena had been conducting its Dussehra rally at the park, known as Shiv Tirth, for decades, holding significant political importance since its foundation in 1966.