Shiv Sena explores options, as Thackeray digs in his heels

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) refusing permission to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to hold its annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park ground in Dadar, is likely to intensify the bitter political battle between Sena and the ruling alliance comprising BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) refusing permission to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to hold its annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park ground in Dadar, is likely to intensify the bitter political battle between Sena and the ruling alliance comprising BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena.

Mumbai, India - September 21, 2022: Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray addressing the rally at NESCO, Goregaon, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, September 21, 2022. (Photo by Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times) (Pratik Chorge/HT PHOTO)

The Shiv Sena has moved the Bombay High Court (HC) for permission to hold their rally at Shivaji Park and the court will hear it on Friday.

On Wednesday, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray insisted that the public meeting would be held at Shivaji Park. The party intends this to be a show of strength after Shinde induced a split in the ranks. However, Sena leaders informally admitted that the party is looking for options to hold the rally in terms of other likely locations.

“Till the time this (the petition in the HC) is decided, we will not chalk out the future course of action. We are sure that the courts will grant their consent for the Dussehra rally (at Shivaji Park),” said Shiv Sena leader and former minister Anil Parab.

He challenged the contention that allowing Sena to hold the meeting at Shivaji Park would affect the law-and-order situation and asked if the Shinde faction could be denied permission for their rally in Bandra as Matoshree (the Thackeray family residence) was located there.

Another senior Shiv Sena leader said the party was “99.99 percent sure” of the ruling going in their favour, as it was the party’s “natural claim” and because they had applied for it first (before the Shinde camp’s application). “Why should we think that things will work out otherwise? The party will decide based on how the situation evolves,” he said.

A Shiv Sena leader admitted that the party would be in a quandary if the court struck down its demand. Else, it had the option of digging its heels in and holding the public meeting in the larger Shivaji Park precinct, regardless of the consequences to show that it still retained its spunk. The Sena had the opportunity to capitalise on this denial of the ground by the BMC and conversely, the state government, to gain sympathy.