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Shiv Sena factions gear up for show of strength on Dussehra
The stage is set for a Sena versus Sena mega show in Mumbai on Wednesday with rival factions headed by Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister Eknath Shinde holding Dussehra rallies at different venues.
The stage is set for a Sena versus Sena mega show in Mumbai on Wednesday with rival factions headed by Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister Eknath Shinde holding Dussehra rallies at different venues.
While the Thackeray camp will hold the rally at its traditional venue in Shivaji Park, the Shinde camp has chosen the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) ground.
Over a decade after he was launched at a similar rally, Thackeray’s son Aaditya will make his debut Dussehra speech on Wednesday. Popular Marathi folk singer Anand Shinde will also release a “Shiv Sena geet” or a campaign song at this rally.
“This will be the first time that Aaditya Thackeray will address a Dussehra rally. Earlier, he has attended it, but has not spoken on the occasion,” said a senior Shiv Sena functionary.
On the other hand, the Shinde faction has planned a for a larger crowd at BKC ground with LED screens across the venue and a 51-feet replica of a sword for “shastra puja”. Besides, the organisers are using hologram images of Sena founder Bal Thackeray and Sena leader Anand Dighe whose legacy the Shinde faction has been claiming.
Also read: Pune sainiks of Sena factions to attend Mumbai Dussehra rallies
The leaders are also planning to release a song sung by singer Avdhut Gupte, said a legislator from the faction.
“The number of people who will come to the rally will be too huge to count,” claimed Shiv Sena leader and Guhagar MLA Bhaskar Jadhav, who is among the 15 MLAs loyal to Uddhav Thackeray. “People have already started gathering at the Shivaji Park. I met workers from Yavatmal, Jalgaon, Chalisgaon, Baramati, Nashik and Dhule… those coming from Konkan will also be significant,” he added.
Rajan Vichare, Lok Sabha MP from Thane, said Sainiks from Thane—which is the epicentre of Shinde’s rebellion—were also expected to attend in large numbers.
Office-bearers of the party from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttarakhand are also expected to be present.
Rahul Shewale, Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South Central, who has shifted to the Shinde group, said that they expected a crowd of around 250,000 to 300,000. A total of 1,800 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses have been hired to ferry people to Mumbai from locations across the state.
State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe however pointed to reports that that ₹10 crore had been paid in cash to the MSRTC for the buses and sought an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the source of these funds.
The Dussehra rally is a chance for the Thackeray faction to show its strength on ground and also galvanise the party cadre ahead of the Mumbai civic polls. The Sena has been unable to hold the rally for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is pulling out all the stops to ensure that it gets a good response.
Also read: Andheri East by-poll: 1st major electoral exercise since Thackeray lost power
Others who are expected to address the party cadre include senior leader and former minister Subhash Desai, senior leaders Bhaskar Jadhav, Aadesh Bandekar and deputy leader Sushma Andhare.
After Shinde induced a vertical split in the party’s legislative wing and walked off with 40 of 55 MLAs and 12 of 19 Lok Sabha MPs, Aaditya had launched a statewide yatra to consolidate the party’s votebase.
Members of the Thackeray family like Uddhav Thackeray’s former sister-in-law Smita Thackeray and Nihar Thackeray, the grandson of late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray are also expected to attend Shinde’s event. Nihar Thackeray is the son of Bindumadhav, who was the Sena chief’s eldest son.
