Maha politicians to mix festivities and voter outreach this Diwali

Political activities are the focus for all party leaders this Diwali – the first after the split in the Shiv Sena. The chiefs of both factions have been focusing on an outreach program.

Mumbai: In the first Diwali after two years of pandemic-induced restrictions, leading politicians will be celebrating the festival of lights with family and voters from their constituencies. With municipal and local body elections round the corner, leaders are focusing on political activities—some have even foregone their regular Diwali vacations with family.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at a Diwali celebration event in Thane. He is also likely to visit Revdanda in Raigad district to meet spiritual preacher Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. (HT PHOTO)

Chief minister Eknath Shinde is expected to be busy reaching out to people during Diwali like he did during Ganeshotsav and Navratri. An official told HT that the CM was likely to visit different deepotsavs and cultural events organised in Mumbai and Thane to mark the festival. He is also likely to visit Revdanda in Raigad district to meet spiritual preacher Appasaheb Dharmadhikari.

Shinde’s predecessor, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his politician son Aaditya, who are working to regroup their ranks after a vertical split in the party, will mostly be in Mumbai. They will, as always, meet party leaders and workers who flock to their Bandra East residence ‘Matoshree,’ to greet them during Diwali. “Huge crowds are expected to turn up there,” said an aide of former chief minister.

Another prime political family, that of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, will celebrate Diwali at its native place, Kathewadi, in Baramati tehsil of Pune district. Around 40 members of the family will congregate for four days and meet people from the constituency during a public event. The Pawar family ensures that all its members get together during the Diwali festival.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will spend four days of Diwali in his hometown Nagpur and a day at his official bungalow, Sagar, in Mumbai. “He is celebrating Dhanteras with children orphaned due to Covid-19 over the last two years,” said a close aide of Fadnavis. “He has adopted 100 of them. This will be followed by low-key family functions on Laxmi Pujan and Bhau Beej. The latter, as always, will be celebrated at the deputy CM’s Nagpur residence in Dharampeth.”

Political activities are the focus for all party leaders this Diwali. In the first Diwali after the split in the Shiv Sena, the chiefs of both factions have been focusing on an outreach program. On Sunday, Thackeray will visit Aurangabad to meet farmers whose standing crops were damaged by the unseasonal rains. He is expected to demand that the state government announce a wet drought and seek compensation for affected agriculturists.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) is also focusing on the forthcoming by-elections to the Andheri East constituency. Although the withdrawal of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate Murji Patel from the fray has ensured a cakewalk for the Sena’s Rutuja Latke, the party is aiming at getting her record votes to show its strength on the ground.

One of Thackeray’s associates said that while he would visit Thane and the Pohradevi shrine in Washim district for public meetings, he was expected to do this post-Diwali. He is also likely to begin his statewide tour by the end of the year.

Uddhav Thackeray’s estranged first cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray will stay put in Mumbai. “He will be in Mumbai and meet workers on Diwali,” said an MNS leader. “Usually, he never goes elsewhere for Diwali, and celebrates in Mumbai.”

For the Pawars, it will be a five-day celebration at their native village in Kathewadi. “Five days of Diwali are celebrated at four different places in and around Kathewadi,” said a NCP leader from Baramati. “Padva is celebrated at Sharad Pawar’s Govind Baug residence, while Bhau Beej is celebrated at Ajit Pawar’s Kathewadi residence. On two days, Rajendra and Ranjit, the other two nephews of Sharad Pawar, host the family in their house in Pimpli, which is around 4 km from Baramati. This year too, the entire family including Pawar’s nephews, nieces and grandsons are participating in the Diwali celebration. At least 35 to 40 members of the family come together every year in Diwali. This has been their Diwali ritual for over 30 years.”

The Pawar family organises a two-day music festival to celebrate with its constituents. “After a gap of two years necessitated by pandemic restrictions, ‘Sharadotsav’ is being organised on the weekend at Vidya Pratisthan in Baramati,” said the leader. “Shrinivas Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s brother and Supriya Sule organise the festival. The Pawar family meets people during this event.”