E-Paper
Why Shiv Sena’s Anil Parab, raided by ED, is important for Uddhav Thackeray
ED officials carried out searches at seven locations linked to Parab, who is considered to have an enviable grasp on the intricacies of Mumbai’s politics and a crucial Sena strategist for any election
MUMBAI: As the Shiv Sena prepares for a bitter battle with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) due later this year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) move to act against the Sena leader and Maharashtra transport minister Anil Parab could hurt the Sena plans.
On Thursday, ED officials carried out searches at seven locations linked to Parab, who is considered to have an enviable grasp on the intricacies of Mumbai’s politics and a crucial Sena strategist for any election in the metropolis. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kirit Somaiya predicted that Anil Parab will eventually be arrested.
“Anil Parab’s imprisonment is inevitable as he has been involved in multiple criminal cases. Multiple state and central agencies including Maharashtra police, CBI, ED, NIA will have to investigate into the crimes committed by Parab,” said Somaiya as ED officials continued their searches at private and official residences.
The 1965-born Parab was initially spotted and mentored by the late Shiv Sena leader Madhukar Sarpotdar, who like him lived in Bandra East. Later, Parab, who was active in the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS), the Shiv Sena youth wing then headed by Raj Thackeray, was groomed by late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. Parab often recalls how the Sena chief once lashed out at a senior police officer who had picked him (Parab) up after a protest in the western suburbs.
Parab led the Sena’s union for cable television operators since the 1990s, a time when the cable television distribution business was still taking its baby steps in India. The nature of the business meant that it was dominated by those with money, muscle and local clout. “This gave him an enviable grasp on the city’s politics as he came in touch with grassroots workers and those with muscle power. This laid the foundation for his emergence as the Shiv Sena’s election strategist,” said a Sena functionary.
In 2005, former chief minister and then leader of opposition Narayan Rane quit the Shiv Sena after an intense power struggle with Uddhav, who was then the working president of the party. For the first time, Shiv Sainiks, who enjoyed a free run on Mumbai’s streets, were forced to retreat by Rane’s men. Raj Thackeray too left the Sena to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in 2006.
It was in these times that Parab, who by then had been nominated to the state legislative council, played a crucial role in chalking out the party‘s strategies and moves. As the vibhag pramukh for the then Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency, his stomping grounds also included Matoshree, the Thackeray family residence at Bandra East, that pitch-forked him into Uddhav Thackeray’s esoteric inner circle.
In the 2007 elections to BMC, the Shiv Sena, which was then in an alliance with the BJP, managed to beat back a challenge from the Congress, which Rane had joined, and the MNS, with Parab playing a role in the ground-level strategy.
“He is a good grassroots organiser and strategist... The Sena is a part known for street-level politics and lacked a brain trust or someone with the depth to chalk out strategies on the drawing board. With his knowledge of politics, education and also his training as a lawyer, Parab eased himself into the role. He also handled the legal side of the party and became a loyalist and confidant of the Thackeray family. Parab did not have a constituency of his own or a mass base, which made him a safe bet for Uddhav, who is cautious about such leaders considering their nuisance value,” said the functionary quoted earlier.
By then, murmurs against Milind Narvekar, who was Uddhav’s powerful personal secretary and gatekeeper, were growing with a number of rebels blaming him for their decision. Anil Parab soon emerged as a power centre in the Sena, along with Rajya Sabha MP’s Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai.
In 2010, Parab faced a shock defeat in the legislative council elections against Independent candidate Vijay Sawant, who was backed by Congress and then chief minister Ashok Chavan. He was, however, renominated in 2012 and three years later, played a major role in trouncing Narayan Rane in the by-election to the assembly from the Bandra East constituency. The election was necessitated due to the demise of Shiv Sena MLA Prakash (Bala) Sawant, and his widow Trupti became a giant killer of sorts by defeating Rane.
However, Parab was humbled in 2019, when Trupti was dropped, reportedly at his behest and replaced with Vishwanath Mahadeshwar. She rebelled, allegedly with covert support from a Sena leader at odds with Parab, and the ensuing poll battle saw Zeeshan Siddiqui of the Congress sail through in the seat, in which Matoshree falls, an embarrassment for the Sena and Parab.
In 2019, when Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray decided to take the plunge - he was the first Thackeray to contest an election - it was Parab who helped him zero down on Worli as his constituency from choices which also included Bandra East and Osmanabad. When the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was formed in a set of extraordinary circumstances, Parab was inducted into the cabinet as transport minister and is said to be among the ministers closest to Uddhav. He had also played a backroom role in the legal battle that formed part of the drama before the MVA government was sworn-in.
However, Parab does lack administrative experience, a second Sena functionary said, adding that this was reflected in his inability to resolve the strike of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) workers, which continued for almost seven months and caused immense hardship to people.
The Shiv Sena’s rule over India’s richest civic body (1985-1992 and 1997-date) has helped it maintain its organisation muscle by ensuring that the benefits of the “reward economy” trickle down to its cadre. Any jolt to the status quo may jeopardise its control over Mumbai. In the 2017 BMC elections, the Sena, which had snapped its alliance with the BJP, held on the civic body by the skin of its teeth. It won 84 seats, with the BJP a close runner-up at 82. Later that year, six of the seven MNS corporators defected to the Sena to shore up its bench-strength, in an operation reportedly masterminded by Parab.
As the Sena prepares for a prestige battle with the BJP in the BMC, the political connotation in the action against Parab is evident. For, as the Shiv Sena’s prime strategist and man for all seasons, Parab’s presence in the trenches or the lack of it, is a factor that may play a make-or-break role in the party.
