© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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Journalism of Courage
Nearly two decades back, in July 1992, faced with an unprecedented attack on his style of functioning from detractors within and outside the Shiv Sena, Shiv supremo Bal Thackeray had surprised many by publicly offering to step down and sever ties with the party.
“Even if one Shiv Sainik stands against me and my family and says I left the Shiv Sena because of you or you hurt us, I am not prepared to continue as Shiv Sena chief for one moment,” Bal Thackeray wrote in the party mouthpiece Saamana.
The article had the desired effect, with lakhs of Sainiks rallying behind Bal Thackeray outside the Shiv Sena Bhavan, consolidating his grip on the party, enough to ensure he faced no such rebellion till his death 20 years later.
Now, three decades after that speech, son Uddhav Thackeray has fallen back on a similar appeal – as a last desperate bid to hold on to both his party and government with rebel Eknath Shinde claiming the support of more than 30 of the party’s 55 MLAs.
His medium of appeal, appropriately, was more direct, Facebook Live. And while speculation was rife that he would announce his resignation as Chief Minister, Uddhav used the address to throw a challenge to the rebel Sena MLAs and invoked their loyalty, saying he would step down if they told him so face-to-face, recounting the steps his government took especially during the first wave of Covid-19, and promising to address their grievances regarding his running of the party.
With one complaint of MLAs being the Thackeray family’s total control over both the government and party, Uddhav recounted the events around the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with the Congress and NCP, to show himself to be a reluctant CM. The first Thackeray to officially assume public office, unlike his father who left this part to party leaders, Uddhav said he was approached by NCP leader Sharad Pawar and that coalition partners still want him to stay on in the post.
He never hankered for a chair or post or power, Uddhav said, adding that he was willing to give it all up if the Sainiks told him so.
Thackeray also used the speech to address allegations of being an inaccessible and ineffective CM. He recalled his work during the pandemic, claiming that the work done by the state had won accolades, and said his inaccessibility was only on the account of his spine surgery and the long period required for recovery.
Since Eknath Shinde has repeatedly questioned him on the issue of Hindutva, Uddhav also addressed this, saying he was the only CM to speak on the floor of the Assembly on the matter (in December 2019). Hindutva, in fact, found multiple mentions in his address, with Uddhav saying he need not be taught what his father’s legacy on Hindutva was or to be told what the Sena is.
The Sena chief will be hoping that this emotional address will strike a chord with the Sainiks who swear by the Thackerays as much as by the party. Sena leaders have been repeating over the past two days that the party has emerged stronger after every such rebellion in the past.
BJP leaders, who were also expecting Uddhav to announce his resignation, said his address had only delayed the inevitable when it came to government formation. They specifically underlined Uddhav’s statement that he was headed for his personal residence, Matoshree, from his official one, Varsha.
BJP leader and former minister Girish Mahajan said: “He (Uddhav) has delayed our process of government formation. But it is a matter of one or two days. We will stake claim.”
