© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The prospect of the Thackeray cousins coming together has been welcomed by friends and foes alike – at least on the face of it. Barring one leader. Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde could barely hide his irritation when asked about the reconciliatory noises made by Uddhav and Raj Thackeray recently, a reaction uncharacteristic of the usually unflappable leader, though hardly surprising.
A joining of forces by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) can only tilt the scales against Shinde, who had good reason to believe that the battle for Sena supremacy had been settled in his favour.
Shinde must feel doubly aggrieved as days before Raj’s peace outreach to his cousin, the MNS chief had met him at his residence. Shinde was then seen to be plugging all the gaps in his preparation for the coveted Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
While Uddhav and Raj camps have previously too tried for peace, this seems to be the most serious bid. It is also seen as the most likely to succeed given where Uddhav finds himself after his Sena (UBT) finished far behind the Shinde Sena in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Raj first suggested he was ready for a reunion when, on a podcast run by filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, he said that “the so-called disputes with Uddhav were minor”, adding, “Our coming together is not difficult… Maharashtra is much bigger than all that.” The same day, Uddhav said at a party event in Mumbai that he was “willing” too, repeating that Maharashtra’s interests were paramount and their differences minor.
Shinde was asked about the same by the media at his native village Dare in district Satara. “Let’s talk about work,” was his curt response.
Having secured the Shiv Sena name and poll symbol, emerged as leader of the second-largest party in the Assembly polls, and returned to power as Deputy Chief Minister in a government with a powerful majority, Shinde had recently set about crippling the Sena (UBT) further. His meeting with Raj at his house in Shivaji Park last week was seen as a part of that, with their supporters talking of a smooth meeting of the minds on Marathi Manoos and Hindutva planks – on both of which the Sena (UBT) is seen as on the defensive due to its alliance with the Congress.
If Raj picks Uddhav as ally instead, not only will it strengthen the Sena (UBT), but also leave Shinde more vulnerable to accusations of being an usurper of the Thackeray legacy. The main reason Raj had parted ways with the united Shiv Sena in 2005 to form the MNS was the rise of Uddhav as Bal Thackeray’s anointed heir. At the time, and till long after Bal Thackeray’s death, Shinde was nowhere in the picture and was known basically as a Thane leader.
What brought him to the centrestage was the revolt he led splitting the Sena, walking away with a majority of its MLAs. If the Thackeray cousins bury the hatchet, many Sena cadres with a soft corner in their heart for the family may question Shinde’s standing.
In fact, till before the Assembly elections, where the BJP essentially carried the weight of the Mahayuti alliance, the Shinde Sena was seen as facing a tough contest from the Sena (UBT). In the Lok Sabha polls, Uddhav’s party had won nine seats, and Shinde’s seven.
Even without the Thackeray factor, Shinde is battling other concerns, the biggest being the BJP’s rising strength. The Sena chief held out for long after the Assembly polls to get the chief ministership, but had to ultimately contend with Deputy CM’s post. He struggled to get portfolios of his choice, and has been fighting the impression that the BJP prefers the other Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar of the NCP, over him.
The BJP’s barely concealed goal is a government that is “shatpratishat (100%) BJP”, which is hardly reassuring for Shinde.
Sena leaders besides Shinde too have lashed out or played down the prospect of a Thackeray reunion. Minister Sanjay Shirsat quipped, “We will distribute sweets if Thackeray cousins unite”, party leader Sanjay Nirupam said, “Two zeros make a zero”, while Sena MP Naresh Mhaske dubbed Uddhav “a modern Duryodhan”.
Sena (UBT) chief Sanjay Raut mocked the statements, saying: “Shinde’s anxiety is understandable. After all, he wrested the Sena by devious methods and betrayal.”
However, given the Thackeray hold, especially in Mumbai, CM Devendra Fadnavis has been careful in his reaction, saying: “It is good if they (Uddhav and Raj) are coming together. We welcome it.”
Uddhav’s ally Supriya Sule of the NCP (SP), who called up the two cousins to applaud their statements, said a reunion would be “a golden moment”. “I’m overwhelmed hearing this news,” she said.
Another ally, Congress state chief Harshvardhan Sapkal, called the news “heartening”.
