Maharashtra polls: Shiv Sena (UBT) backs Abu Azmi, once a sworn enemy

Shiv Sena (UBT) workers made no bones about the prime motivation: to make Uddhav Thackeray chief minister again

Mumbai: He was the man the late Bal Thackeray loved to hate. Entire editorials in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ were devoted to criticising his alleged fanaticism. But, on Saturday evening, all the local office bearers of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) pledged their support to Abu Asim Azmi, the Samajwadi Party’s president in Maharashtra and the three-time MLA from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar who is seeking re-election as the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate this time.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav with party’s Maharashtra chief Abu Asim Azmi and party workers. (FILE PHOTO)

“There was a time when the Shiv Sena and the Samajwadi Party were like two parallel tracks,’’ up-vibhag pramukh Akhtar Ali Shaikh told the audience comprising mainly Samajwadi Party workers and some Sena workers. “Today, the tracks have merged,” he said to loud applause.

Abu Azmi, in turn, heaped praise on the Sena founder, saying, “Though I had my differences with him, I must say this of Balasaheb – he never bowed before anyone. He never went to anyone for favours. In fact, all leaders came to him. And the way he worked for the interests of the Marathi manus, no other leader has worked for his people, be it the wada pav wala or the bank clerk or even the auto rickshaw walla.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) speakers made no bones about the prime motivation behind their presence at the meeting: to make Uddhav Thackeray chief minister again. To achieve that goal, every seat was precious and hence, Shiv Sainiks would work to ensure Azmi’s victory, they said.

But even as SP workers draped the saffron scarves handed out to them by Shiv Sainiks, traces of the rocky relationship between the two parties remained. Suresh Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) vibhag pramukh and the senior most office-bearer on the dais, started his speech by saying, “Azmi Saheb, you’ve won already.” But he made it a point to complain that Azmi had not invited Shiv Sainiks when he went to file his nomination. As an MVA candidate, he should have, said Patil.

Azmi apologised immediately.

“When I filed my nomination, talks were still on between Sanjay Raut and me, so matters were not very clear,” he said, referring to the seat sharing talks among MVA allies that continued till the very last minute. In fact, the situation is still confusing – while the MVA has allocated two seats to the SP – Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar and Bhiwandi, where the sitting MLA Rais Shaikh is seeking reeelction – Azmi has fielded candidates in seven other constituencies too.

Patil, who acknowledged that Azmi had brought water to the constituency, said that since Shiv Sena (UBT) and SP were allies now, the Sena had the right to question Azmi regarding unresolved issues in the constituency and help him resolve them.

Both parties played down the ideologies they were known for. Referring to the ‘batenge toh katenge (we’ll be decimated if we are divided)’ slogan by BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, a former ally of the undivided Shiv Sena, Suresh Patil said, “Abhi koi nahi batega ya katega, abhi hum sirf jodenge (Now, no one will be divided or decimated. We will bring them togther).” On his part, Azmi quoted Maulana Azad and Aligarh Muslim University founder Sir Syed to talk about Hindu-Muslim unity.

Asked about whether they would campaign for their bête noire, women cadres of Shiv Sena (UBT) told this reporter, “When Uddhav Saheb sends an aadesh (order), we obey.”