Shinde blinks first? Faction gets Bandra Kurla Complex for Dussehra rally

On Saturday, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray insisted that his party will hold the rally at the grounds in line with its 56-year-old tradition

Uddhav Thackeray may well get a chance to address party workers at Shivaji Park this Dussehra once again, as the Eknath Shinde faction has secured the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) grounds for their public meeting on the same day. However, leaders of the Shinde faction, which has staked claim to being the “real” Shiv Sena, said they were insistent that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allocate the Shivaji Park to them.

The Thackeray and Shinde camps are at odds over holding the October 5 rally at Shivaji Park, where the Shiv Sena rally is held every Dussehra, and have staked claim to it in separate applications filed before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The Thackeray and Shinde camps are at odds over holding the October 5 rally at Shivaji Park, where the Shiv Sena rally is held every Dussehra, and have staked claim to it in separate applications filed before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

On Saturday, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray insisted that his party will hold the rally at the grounds in line with its 56-year-old tradition. The Shiv Sena is also exploring the option of approaching the courts if permission is denied.

Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP from South Mumbai and spokesperson of the party, said, “They (Shinde camp) have been given permission by the MMRDA to use the BKC ground. The MMRDA has allocated it to them as they were the first to apply for it. In that case, we applied first for the Shivteertha (as the Shivaji Park is referred to by Shiv Sainiks), and hence we must get immediate permission to use it.”

However, Shinde’s followers said they were firm on holding their rally at Shivaji Park. It is speculated that some more leaders and elected representatives from the Shiv Sena may join Shinde there. “We are yet to be informed officially (about the BKC ground being allocated)… we have been told that they have accepted our letter,” said Sheetal Mhatre, former corporator and spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde group. “But it is our wish to hold it at Shivaji Park. Traditionally, the Dussehra rally takes place at Shivaji Park. Hence, our first preference is Shivaji Park,” said Mhatre.

Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske, who is with Shinde, also said that while they had applied for the BKC grounds, they wanted to hold their event at Shivaji Park. “Even if the BKC grounds are allocated to us, we want to hold our rally at Shivaji Park,” he added.

The Shiv Sena has a strong emotional link with the Shivaji Park. It was born at the Ranade Road residence of party founder Bal Thackeray located nearby on June 19, 1966 and it held its first public meeting at the grounds on Dussehra day in October that year, marking the beginning of this convention.

Bal Thackeray’s father, the social reformer and activist ‘Prabodhankar’ Keshav Sitaram Thackeray was among those who launched the public celebrations of the festival of Navratri, which culminates with Dussehra. It was in a Dussehra rally that Aaditya, who is Uddhav Thackeray’s elder son, was launched in politics as the head of the Yuva Sena in 2010.