Mumbai: While deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena president Eknath Shinde campaigned aggressively for the zilla parishad elections, scheduled for Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray was conspicuous by his absence from the campaign.
Although this is being interpreted as apathy on Thackeray’s part in some political circles, Shiv Sena (UBT) insiders said it was a deliberate decision. Thackeray, they said, has realised that the Shiv Sena (UBT) cannot compete with the ruling parties and their “politics of resources”, so he has strategically decided to focus on working as a pressure group in the opposition.
Local body elections are typically seen as a testing ground for assembly and Lok Sabha polls, with local leaders given greater autonomy. In the recent municipal council and municipal corporation elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena mounted massive campaigns to expand their base across Maharashtra.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Shinde also toured the state ahead of the municipal corporation elections last month. The BJP and the Shiv Sena emerged as the top two parties, winning 1,425 and 399 seats, respectively, across the state. In the ongoing zilla parishad elections, although Fadnavis did not campaign, Shinde toured several districts to expand his party.
In contrast, Thackeray stayed away from campaigning during the municipal council elections and focused primarily on the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls. Outside Mumbai, he addressed only a handful of rallies, including in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Nashik and Thane. He has similarly chosen not to campaign in the zilla parishad elections.
Following Shiv Sena (UBT)’s defeat in the assembly elections, Thackeray’s absence from the campaign was viewed as a sign of apathy in some quarters. However, party insiders said it was a thought-out decision based on political realities. Voters are now voting not on issues but have compromised due to freebies and the misuse of money power in elections, said a party leader, requesting anonymity.
The defeat also triggered defections among Shiv Sena (UBT)’s local leadership to the ruling alliance, mainly to the Shinde-led Sena or the BJP. This further weakened the party’s prospects in regions such as north Maharashtra, Marathwada and Konkan. As a result, the Shiv Sena (UBT) concluded that campaigning and addressing rallies across the state would not yield the desired results and would be a waste of energy, the leader added.
Another leader, who also requested anonymity, said, “Thackeray realised that our party cannot compete with the ruling alliance in the politics of resources. Even if a huge crowd turns out for a rally, money power still plays a key role. So, the party leadership decided not to waste energy and party funds on local body election campaign rallies. Instead, local leaders were asked to look after the elections. Now, Thackeray will focus on working as a major pressure group in the state, similar to the role played by the undivided Shiv Sena before its electoral success in assembly elections during the 1990s.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former leader of opposition in the legislative council, Ambadas Danve, confirmed the strategy, saying, “Due to the politics of the Mahayuti alliance, elections have become too costly. Opposition parties cannot match the campaign method and level of the ruling alliance. So, our party decided that regional leaders will look after the local body elections and assigned responsibility to regional leaders, MPs and MLAs, along with district-level leaders. We will work as a strong opposition party.”