Uddhav to hold dialogue with socialist groups’ leaders in Mumbai

The Sena (UBT) had been keeping a distance from socialist and secular parties for decades now. However, after the vertical split in the party in June last year that was engineered by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray has been joining hands with all anti-BJP forces and is out to rebuild the party.

According to political observers, it is not the first time that the Sena is allying with secular and socialist parties or organisations. Since the foundation of the party in 1966, the Sena has allied with the secular forces for 22 times. The Sena had also forged an alliance with George Fernandes’ party.

“Shiv Sena contested the first election of Mumbai’s municipal corporation in 1968. In it, the party had forged an alliance with the Praja Samajwadi Party which had the status of a national party. Madhu Dandavate and N G Gore were the leaders of that party. The first mayor of Shiv Sena in the municipal corporation was Dr Hemchandra Gupte. But by then, the Shiv Sena had split with the Praja Samjawadi Party. So the Shiv Sena had taken the support of Congress to defeat the Praja Samjawadi Party candidate. In the 1973 municipal elections in Mumbai, Shiv Sena had formed an alliance with Republican Party’s R S Gavai group. Sena had also enjoyed the support from corporator of the Muslim League once,” mentions ‘Suvarnamahotsavi Shiv Sena’ books written by Vijay Samant and Sena UBT public relations officer Harshal Pradhan.

“There was an ideological harmony between Prabodhankar Thackeray (father of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray) and the leaders of the Samajwadi movement. Balasaheb Thackeray also maintained friendship with Samajwadi leaders despite ideological differences. In the year 1968, the Samajwadi and the Shiv Sena formed an effective alliance in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Now after several decades there will be dialogue between Shiv Sena and Samajwadi Janata Parivar. The Samajwadi Janata Parivar party and the Shiv Sena are united in the INDIA Alliance. Against this background, Maharashtra is paying attention to what Uddhav Thackeray will communicate with the Samajwadi family,” a Sena UBT party functionary said.

Kapil Patil, national general secretary of Janata Dal (United), said that the socialist groups and organisations would ally with the Sena UBT and the opposition bloc’s INDIA alliance. “A meeting of parties and organisations of the Samajwadi Janata Parivar who believe in socialist views was held in Pune on August 24. After this meeting, the second meeting is being held in Mumbai. All the parties and organizations of the Samajwadi Parivar are also coming together in this meeting and Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray would also attend the event. They are going to interact with the invitees at the meeting. Socialist-minded parties and Shiv Sena under the leadership of Thackeray are coming together in the India Alliance. Now there is almost a consensus to fight the elections together in Maharashtra,” Patil said.

A select 150 people have been invited to the Samajwadi Parivar meeting on Sunday. It includes senior intellectuals, social workers, political leaders. Labour leaders Shashank Rao, Asim Rao, colleague of George Fernandes, Subhash Malgi, daughter of former state president of Janata Dal, Nihal Ahmed, Shaan-e-Hind will also be present in the meeting.

eting. Socialist-minded parties and Shiv Sena under the leadership of Thackeray are coming together in the India Alliance. Now there is almost a consensus to fight the elections together in Maharashtra,” Patil said.

A select 150 people have been invited to the Samajwadi Parivar meeting on Sunday. It includes senior intellectuals, social workers, political leaders. Labour leaders Shashank Rao, Asim Rao, colleague of George Fernandes, Subhash Malgi, daughter of former state president of Janata Dal, Nihal Ahmed, Shaan-e-Hind will also be present in the meeting.