Even as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may have been largely successful in causing a vertical split in the Shiv Sena, the breakaway faction led by the CM has not been able to get a hold on the party shakhas in Mumbai, instrumental in ensuring the dominance of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party over the years and its control over the BMC for more than two-and-a-half decades.
Sources said Shinde is facing difficulty in swaying the loyalties of shakha members towards his Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena.
A visit to the shakhas showed that not more than 10 to 15 shakha pramukhs among the 227 in Mumbai have switched over to the Shinde camp. Also, very few corporators have joined hands with the CM.
Aashish Chemburkar, Sena Vibhag Pramukh from south central Mumbai, said, “In Worli and Sewree Assembly constituencies, there have been no defection. But in Byculla, there have been some defections as former corporator Yashwant Jadhav and his wife Yamini, the sitting MLA, have joined Shinde.”
He added that in south central Mumbai, which has 17 shakhas, except for one, all are under the control of Shiv Sena (UBT). The one that has shifted is led by Jadhav.
Shakha is a local office of the Sena, pivotal in mobilising local Shiv Sainiks, strengthening the party’s public connect and garnering votes. There are 227 BMC electoral wards in Mumbai and Sena has its Shakha in each ward, since the last five decades. Each one is headed by a shakha pramukh.
With BMC elections coming up, the control over the shakhas and loyalties of shakha pramukhs will be crucial for both Sena factions.
Sources said that except for a few shakhas controlled by rebel Sena MLAs and MPs from Mumbai, all other are still with Thackeray.
MLA Sanjay Potnis said, “Those who have gone with Shinde are from the constituencies of rebel MLAs and MPs, as they were appointed at their request. For example, four shakha pramukhs have gone with rebel MLA Dilip Lande. As they were appointed on Lande’s request, it was obvious that they will go to the Shinde camp. But no other office-bearer has left.”
When The Indian Express visited some shakhas, it was business as usual for the sainiks. “Earlier, there was a feeling of anger, grief and confusion among workers. But now we are just waiting for the elections to teach the traitors a lesson. Though many MLAs and MPs have gone with Shinde, but the supporters are still loyal to the Thackeray family,” said Sandesh Parab, a Sena supporter from Mahim.
Sena workers in Worli, Malad, Bhandup and other parts of the city echoed the same.
Though it managed to get a majority of the Sena MLAs and MPs to defect, the Shinde faction seems to be struggling to build an organisational structure in the city, especially in areas where they don’t have MLAs and MPs.
Accepting that the organisational structure of their faction is still not as strong as Sena (UBT), a Shinde faction leader claimed they would soon will have new shakhas. “We have started opening our shakhas and building cadre. Our first shakha was opened in Mankhurd last August by MP Rahul Shewale. Every MP and MLA have shakhas and offices… Soon, offices of Balasahebanchi Sena will come up in every part of the city,” said a leader.
The Shinde faction is confident that its real strength will be visible once BMC elections are announced and it gets “bow and arrow” as the party symbol from the Election Commission.
Prakash Surve, MLA from Magathane, said he has 19 wards in his area, has opened 14 shakhas and also appointed office-bearers and shakha pramukhs. “Preparation has already started for BMC polls. We don’t need their shakhas… will have our own. Many have joined us and more will come once the elections are announced.”
MLA Sadanand Sarvankar from Mahim, where the Sena Bhavan is located, said that in Mahim and Dharavi, appointments of all office-bearers have been completed and offices are being opened. “Almost 60 per cent of my constituency’s office-bearers and cadre are with me. The others are waiting for the elections to be announced.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde speaks during an event. (File) 
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