MUMBAI: The 59th foundation day of the Shiv Sena on Thursday was marked by bitter accusations, taunts and a virtual declaration of war ahead of local body elections in the state.
Quoting from Nana Patekar-starrer Prahaar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray challenged his bête noir Eknath Shinde, saying, “Come on, kill me!” Uddhav launched his attack at Shanmukhananda Hall, where the Sena (UBT) was celebrating the party’s foundation day.
Shinde, whose faction of the Sena was celebrating the occasion at the NSCI Dome in Worli, countered Uddhav, declaring that he did not want to kill someone who was “already finished”.
Shinde’s speech was largely devoted to slamming Uddhav and emphasising that his faction was the “original Sena”, which was carrying forward the legacy of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
He said the strike rate of his party was very high. “In 2014, the (undivided) Shiv Sena contested 282 seats and won 63 seats. In 2019, the (undivided) Shiv Sena contested 124 seats and won 56 seats, and this time (2024), they (Sena-UBT) contested 85 seats and won 20. Of this, many were won with slender margins. Many seats were won due to Congress votes as real Shiv Sena voters had bid goodbye to them. We have confidence, and they (Sena-UBT) have arrogance, which will bring them to another defeat,’’ said Shinde.
“They consider BMC as golden goose. Mumbai and its importance is not under threat, but their politics and finances will come under threat as their soul is in the BMC treasury, while our soul is Hindutva. There will be no compromise on it,’’ said Shinde. “Is Hindutva a T-shirt you can wear or remove any time,” he asked, referring to Thackeray’s statement that he has not quit Hindutva.
Virtually kickstarting the Sena’s campaign for the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other local bodies in the state, Shinde told party workers that the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition would contest the polls as an alliance but details would be revealed later. However, he did not comment on speculation over the reunion of the estranged Thackeray cousins – Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Challenging Shinde, Uddhav said at Shanmukhananda Hall, “Come on, kill me,” a line from the Hindi film Prahaar. He added that if they wanted to attack, they must come with an ambulance as they would “come walking and go back injured”. Shinde countered him, saying mere talk is not enough. “You need a tiger’s heart and strength in your wrist. How can we kill someone who is already dead? People of the state have already finished them in the assembly polls.”
On the undivided Sena’s legacy, Shinde declared, ‘’We have the Shiv Sena bow and arrow symbol, and the people’s support. We have protected Balasaheb’s ideology. “Balasaheb’s ideology is our wealth.”
The Sena chief also taunted Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, whose friend, actor Dino Morea, is being interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). “When Dino opens up, let’s see how many people sink.”
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, an ally in the Mahayuti coalition, had faced major embarrassment due to the suicide of Vaishali Hagawane, daughter-in-law of NCP leader Rajendra Hagawane. It put Pawar in a particularly awkward position as there were pictures of him handing over the keys to an SUV, part of Vaishnavi’s dowry, to her husband Shashank Hagawane.
In a damage-control exercise, the Shiv Sena launched a campaign for daughters-in-law. “Our shakhas will attend to issues faced by daughters-in-law, who face issues at home. We must treat our daughters-in-law like our daughters,’’ said Shinde.
Shinde said more than 50 corporators from the Sena UBT, from the 2017-22 term, had joined the Sena. “We are growing,” he declared. In a timely move, three local Sena-UBT leaders joined Shinde’s party – Ajit Bhandari (Sena-UBT vibhag pramukh and former corporator), Sanjay Jangam (shakha pramukh) and Vijendra Shinde (former corporator). Nadia Sheikh (former corporator from the NCP-SP) also joined the Sena on Thursday.