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Fighting odds, Shiv Sena pulling out all stops for Uddhav’s Ayodhya event
In the absence of a credible face and cadre in UP, the Shiv Sena is largely importing support from Maharashtra from where its cadre is expected to form the crowd in Ayodhya.
Facing the challenge of holding Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s ‘Ashirwad Sammelan’ on the eve of VHP’s massive rally Dharam Sabha in Ayodhya on November 25, the Shiv Sena leaders are pulling out all the stops to make its event successful.
The party lacks infrastructure and support base at the ground level as well as assistance of the present dispensation headed by chief minister Adityanath Yogi.
Shiv Sena hardly enjoys any support outside Maharashtra. It was way back in 1991 that Shiv Sena had an MLA, Pawan Pandey, in Uttar Pradesh. Pandey left Shiv Sena after completing his tenure as legislator and has since been shifting loyalties to various political parties to contest elections.
In the absence of a credible face and cadre in UP, the Shiv Sena is largely importing support from Maharashtra from where its cadre is expected to form the crowd in Ayodhya.
Fearing low turnout, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday also cancelled its proposed public rally on November 24 at the Lakshman Quila ground.
Thackeray will now only attend ‘Ashirwad Sammelan’ to seek the blessings of saints and participate in Saryu aarti on November 24. The next day, he will leave for Mumbai after offering prayer at the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Just a day after Shiv Sena’s show of strength in untested territory, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will organise Dharam Sabha which has the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas (RJN) – a powerful body of saints that has been spearheading the temple movement across the country – as well the ruling party ministers and legislators.
The VHP and RSS volunteers have fanned out in various parts of the state to mobilise over a lakh people to give a push to the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Shiv Sena spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, a close aide of Thackeray, is camping in Ayodhya for the last one week and has been shuttling between Ayodhya and Lucknow to prepare the ground for Thacekray’s visit.
Shiv Sena minister in the Maharashtra government Eknath Sambhaji Shinde and two party MPs are also staying in Ayodhya to make preparations for the event.
However, it will not be easy for the Shiv Sena to get the support of local saints.
Prominent saints of Ayodhya, associated with the Mani Ram Das Chhawni Peeth and Digambar Akhara have refused to share platform with Thackeray.
A day after refusing to attend Thackeray’s programme, Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das on Thursday evening agreed to it after much persuasion.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut met the Mahant at Mani Ram Das Chhavni Peeth on Friday evening to request him to attend the ‘Ashirwad Sammelan’.
Raut also conveyed Uddhav Thackeray’s personal message to Das requesting him to attend the event.
Das had on Wednesday refused to attend the event saying the VHP’s rally was planned much before the Sena’s programme.
The Shiv Sena had announced Thackeray’s Ayodhya visit after Ram Janmabhoomi Trust chief Janmejay Shaeranji Maharaj met the Sena chief at the party’s headquarters in Mumbai on October 3 to extend invitation to him to visit Ayodhya.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Trust is a parallel body pitched against the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas but the latter is more powerful.
According to people familiar with the developments, the Shiv Sena has also sent feelers to a former BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh who was at the forefront of the Ram temple movement but has now been sidelined in the party.
The Sena wanted this former BJP MP to head its Uttar Pradesh unit but did not get positive response from him.
