Shinde vs Thackeray: Show of strength by Shiv Sena factions expected at Dussehra rallies

With Maharashtra assembly elections likely to be held in November, both the factions of Shiv Sena will be vying to set the tone for the polls with a show of strength at their respective Dussehra rallies in Mumbai today.

While Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena will hold its rally at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, the rival Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will hold its rally at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar.

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Despite rains on Thursday night, Shiv Sena leader and former MP Rahul Shewale said around two lakh people are expected to turn up at Azad Maidan. Reports say that Shiv Sena has booked 3,000 private buses to ferry the party workers to the venue. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, too, said that rains would not dampen the spirits of the people.

Teaser war between Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT)

On social media, the battle began days ahead of the rallies, with both factions releasing teasers taking digs at each other. The Shinde-led faction's video showed a tiger, with Shiv Sena written on it, being tied to a Congress hand by Thackeray, referring to their alliance. CM Shinde then emerges, and sets the tiger free.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), on the other hand, talked about saving the state's pride and took a dig at the MLAs who rebelled against Thackeray. It also uses clips of late Shiv Sena founder and supremo Bal Thackeray's old speeches.

The importance of Shivaji Park as the venue

The Dusherra rallies will serve as a morale-booster for both the Shiv Sena factions ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls. The venue of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s rally—Shivaji Park—holds a special place in Sena workers' hearts, since it was from here Bal Thackeray addressed the rallies of the undivided Shiv Sena since the 1960s on the planks of Marathi manoos and Hindutva.

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The iconic venue, which was first called Mahim park and was renamed in 1927, is spread over around 28 acres and located in central Mumbai. It witnessed Shiv Sena's first public meeting on October 30, 1966. Bal Thackeray's cremation, too, was held in Shivaji Park, in November 2012.

Bal Thackeray addressed his last rally virtually at Shivaji Park and urged Shiv Sena workers to support Uddhav and grandson Aaditya.

Interestingly, in 2019, Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister at the Shivaji Park and not Raj Bhavan.

After the split in the party in June 2022, the Uddhav-led faction continued to hold rallies at Shivaji Park, while the Shinde faction first held its rally at the MMRDA ground in Bandra Kurla Complex, and then, at Azad Maidan.

Maharashtra polls will be crucial for Congress

The term of the current assembly ends on November 26.

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The polls will be a litmus test for the Congress, which is still recovering from the shock defeat in Haryana. The grand old party is allied with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) banner, while Shinde's Shiv Sena is with Ajit Pawar's NCP and the BJP in the Mahayuti alliance.

The MVA alliance won 30 of the state's 48 seats in the Lok Sabha polls this year, with the Congress winning 13. The grand old party will be hoping that the good show continues in the assembly polls, too.