Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray seeks to play role on national stage

Shiv Sena intends to play bigger role in shaping national politics by becoming more active in the Congress-backed Opposition front, and continue to expand its base

With Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray keen on playing an important role on the national stage ahead of the 2024 general elections, the party is trying to get a foothold in national politics.

CM Uddhav Thackeray will take part in a meeting with Oppn leaders to discuss how to go ahead for next general polls. (PTI file)

On Friday, Thackeray will participate in a virtual meeting convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi with all chief ministers from the Opposition and key leaders to discuss on how to go ahead for the next general elections, Raut said.

Besides Thackeray, other CMs of non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states, including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, among others, are expected to participate. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar also may participate in the meeting.

Over the past few weeks, the Shiv Sena has been an active part of the Opposition’s camp and vocal in targeting the Centre. This is a deviation from the party’s policy as the party founder late Bal Thackeray chose to concentrate on Maharashtra and not get too involved at national-level politics.

With the change of guard in the Sena, the party did not get the scope to spread its wings in the alliance with the BJP, although it has been putting up candidates in the Assembly polls outside Maharashtra, but without any success. The BJP stifled the regional party’s growth in the alliance. Now, Thackeray is looking to expand its base for the future.

Political experts and observers pointed out the Sena is in a better position to get a good bargain on the national stage than it could have got with the BJP, as the Congress is weaker and is looking to stitch together an alliance to defeat the BJP in 2024.

However, the party’s approach is a mixed one. It intends to play a bigger role in shaping national politics by becoming more active in the Congress-backed Opposition front, at the same time, continue to expand its base in electoral terms by fielding candidates in the Assembly elections in other states. The party plans to field candidates in Uttar Pradesh elections slated for February-March 2022.

In states where it can dent the chances of BJP candidates, it is expected to put up its candidates. They may decide not to field candidates in some states where it could damage the regional party, like they did in West Bengal state polls earlier this year.

Raut, who was the co-architect of the Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), is trying to make space for Thackeray in the opposition camp at the national level. In the last one month, Raut has been taking on the BJP over the Pegasus snooping issue and had been a part of key Opposition party meetings chaired by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Incidentally, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who is now working with the Congress to build an opposition coalition, was an advisor for the Sena ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections.

“The country definitely needs a strong leader like Uddhav ji, but that doesn’t mean that he will go and sit in New Delhi now. Now leaders like us are there [in Delhi]. But if we speak of the future, then Uddhav Thackeray ji will have to play an important role in national politics,” Raut said.

The Rajya Sabha MP added that the Sena has always played a role in national politics and that the party’s opinions have always carried weight in New Delhi. “We have had ministers in the Centre, a Lok Sabha Speaker and governments have been formed with our support. As our numbers grew in Parliament, we have always played a role in Delhi. Besides, the Shiv Sena has taken a stand on several national issues, which the country has also agreed. Today, we are not a part of NDA or UPA, but we are there on the national stage. Our opinions have always carried weight, whether it is through Saamana or when Uddhav ji speaks.”

Political analyst Hemant Desai said, “The party is projecting Thackeray as an able and strong leader. Popularity surveys have showed Thackeray among top five leaders and Raut has said that next year, he will be number one. Under Bal Thackeray, the party did not play a big role. The Congress and BJP were national parties then, but now only the BJP is that powerful. So they have a better chance to get a bigger role on the national stage.”

Surendra Jondhale, political analyst and former professor of political science at Mumbai university, said, “It is also a political compulsion for the Shiv Sena, as it has to grow stronger in Maharashtra and outside. What we are seeing now with Raut meeting Congress leaders are political parlays, which will lead to something as we get closer to 2024. The Sena is a regional party and all such parties have national ambition. The Sena is looking at following in the footsteps of Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar.”

Meanwhile, the increasing camaraderie between the Shiv Sena and Congress will make Thackeray more secure in the CM’s seat. Since the MVA was formed, it was rumoured that Rahul Gandhi was against the alliance with the Sena, a former BJP ally. Earlier this month, Raut held a one-on-one meeting with Rahul Gandhi, cementing the relations between the two allies. Significantly, Raut remarked that the Congress and Shiv Sena are working “hand-in-hand, but now that hand has come on the shoulders”.