Maharashtra polls: Shiv Sena (UBT) struggles to get a handle on Sambhaji Nagar

Shiv Sena (UBT) struggles in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar after party splits and candidate exits, facing a tough electoral battle against Shinde's faction

Mumbai: Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar: Citizens of Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar) had pledged their allegiance to Shiv Sena two decades after it was founded by Bal Thackeray in 1966. There was an upswing in the Sena wave after the ’80s, owing to the party’s Hindutva agenda and the Sena supremo’s opposition towards renaming the Marathwada University after Dr B R Ambedkar.

Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav, is struggling to retain its clout in this constituency. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

That devotion among the electorate has not sustained, and Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav, is struggling to retain its clout. Two events have led to this situation – the split in the party two years ago, and Sena (UBT)’s recent embarrassment when one it its official candidates from Aurangabad Central, Kishanchand Tanwani, quit the party.

The undivided Shiv Sena won six of nine seats in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in 2019 – five MLAs aligned with chief minister Eknath Shinde during his mutiny in June 2022. The sole MLA with Sena (UBT) – Udaysing Rajput – has been renominated from Kannad constituency for the upcoming assembly elections, and senior party leader Tanwani was fielded from Aurangabad Central. After his exit, although the party brought in its city president Balasaheb Thorat as the new candidate, this move has weakened the party’s position in the constituency.

Sena (UBT) is contesting on six of the nine seats in district against the Shinde-led Sena. “The fight between two Senas here will decide which faction has been accepted by the voters. The mandate will also depend on whether the issue of betrayal still remains a campaign pitch. As of now, both Senas have equal chances of winning, although with a drastic reduction in numbers,” said a Sena (UBT) leader.

The leader said, division of votes owing to rebellion in some of the constituencies like Aurangabad Central could disturb the dynamics for the party.

Another party leader said, following the split, the leadership had failed to give new faces in the district. “Additionally, infighting between leaders like Chandrakant Khaire and Ambadas Danve has weakened the unit which may dent the party’s prospect in this election,” he said.

When Bal Thackeray had opposed the renaming of Marathwada University, the Dalit community was incensed and ran a movement for the renaming for over a decade. Although the university was renamed in 1994, Thackeray’s opposition brought a swathe of supporters from here and elsewhere in Marathwada in the Sena fold. Marathwada was the second region after Konkan and Mumbai where the party spread its base steadily.

Shuja Shakir, head of political science department, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, said that Sena also gained ground in the wake of the migration to the city post industrialisation, “in the ’80s, thanks to the industrial parks allotted by the state government in district”.

“This helped Sena, which was known to be a party of the lower social classes, grow rapidly. Though its religious appeal was symbolic, it also played a role in the backdrop of the regular communal riots in Aurangabad city. It’s stand in renaming of the Marathwada university after Dr BR Ambedkar also helped the party flourish politically,” Shakir added.

It also helped that the party won a significant chunk of corporation seats in 1987, and has not looked back since, he said. Barring the first five years of the formation of the corporation in Sambhaji Nagar in 1987-88, the Shiv Sena had been in the power in the civic body with the help of BJP until 2019, when the term of last civic body came to an end. Barring six years, Aurangabad has elected Shiv Sena MPs between 1989 and 2019.

Shiv Sena-UBT leader and former MP Chandrakant Khaire said that the party will manage to keep its pocket borough intact. “The people of the district are determined to send the betrayers home as they have realised that the MLAs who quit the party did so for money. The voters will stand with us and Uddhavsaheb. Of the nine seats we are contesting six and are in strong position in four of them,” said Khaire, adding Tanwani’s exit “will make no difference to the party”.