After Shinde faction backs off surprisingly, BMC permits Uddhav Sena to hold Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park

The Shinde-led Sena will likely hold its Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan or Cross Maidan in South Mumbai. Both Sena factions had staked a claim on Shivaji Park for holding their annual Dussehra rallies on October 24, setting the stage for a repeat of last year’s face-off,

However, in a surprising move, Shinde Tuesday announced that his party would not stake claim over Shivaji Park and would consider Azad Maidan or Cross Maidan for the rally.

The Shinde-led Sena leader Sada Sarvankar said he was withdrawing the application for the Shivaji Park ground after instructions from Shinde.

After the Sena split last year, both factions fought over the venue for the Dussehra rally. They filed applications with the BMC to get permission for the rally, but the civic body rejected both applications. The Bombay High Court eventually allowed Sena (UBT) to hold the event at Shivaji Park on October 5, while the Shine-led Sena held its rally at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) ground in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

Shinde, during his announcement, said this year the rally would take place at Cross Maidan and Azad Maidan since the MMRDA ground at BKC had been given for the bullet train project.