In a curious development during the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) protest in Thane amid the raging language row in the state, state Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik tried to join the protest against the government he is part of.
MNS workers heckled him, called him a traitor, and forced him to leave. Ahead of the protest, Mr Sarnaik criticised the police action against the protesters and described the agitation as a peaceful march in support of Marathi interests.
The minister’s presence at the protest raises questions. It is possible that Mr Sarnaik reached the protest without the knowledge and approval of the party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. But since the Shiv Sena leadership has not publicly commented on this, another possibility arises: the minister got a go-ahead from the party. Now, why would a leader of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena try to join a protest by Raj Thackeray’s MNS, which has come close to Mr Shinde’s arch-rival Uddhav Thackeray? The answer to this lies in the emotive language issue in Maharashtra, the upcoming civil polls, and the reunion of the Thackeray cousins.
Shinde’s FOMO Moment
Following the rebellion that split the Shiv Sena, Team Shinde managed to retain the party’s name and symbol. But its alliance with the BJP and NCP has now put it on the wrong side as the Marathi vs non-Marathi debate plays out in Maharashtra. Language has historically been an emotive issue in the Western state, and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray has been a champion of the Marathi Manoos cause.
So, while Mr Shinde may have retained the party’s name and symbol, it is largely out of action as MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) accuse the BJP-ruled Centre of imposing Hindi and taking the fight to the streets. It would not be wrong to say that Mr Shinde is having a FOMO moment as his former brothers-in-arms take to the streets in signature Shiv Sena style. The Sena chief appears to be restless, fearing that arch-rival Uddhav Thackeray may reap political dividends from this issue.
The Thackeray Reunion
What has made the situation more difficult for Eknath Shinde is the recent reunion of Thackeray cousins Uddhav and Raj, nearly two decades after the latter quit Shiv Sena and founded the MNS. With the estranged cousins burying the hatchet, the Thackeray family is now united politically. This can be trouble for Eknath Shinde. Despite Team Shinde holding Shiv Sena’s name and symbol, the united Thackeray cousins can claim Bal Thackeray’s legacy and gain politically.
The Sena UBT sprang a surprise in the Lok Sabha election last year, winning nine seats, two more than the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. While Uddhav Thackeray suffered a setback in the state polls, the reunion with Raj Thackeray can tilt the balance in his favour.
Mr Shinde knows this, and his attempts to woo Raj Thackeray and bring him over to his side continue. While the Sena chief criticised Uddhav after the cousins’ joint rally last week, he spared Raj.
“While Raj Thackeray’s solicitude for the Marathi language was evident in his speech, Uddhav Thackeray showed anger, hatred and a thirst for power and a chair,” Mr Shinde said.
Eye On BMC Polls
Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Maximum City’s civic body, are due this year. The last polls were held in 2017, before the Shiv Sena and BJP parted ways and Eknath Shinde’s rebellion split the Sena. In the 2017 polls, Sena finished as the single largest party and the BJP made big gains.
Eight years on, the BMC battle is another prestige fight between the two Sena factions. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region was a stronghold of the undivided Sena. And the language row that is making headlines is likely to be a key talking point in this election.
Mr Shinde, therefore, faces a tough fight. To swing the Sena voterbase in his favour, he must reach out to the Marathi voter, but his alliance with the BJP makes him vulnerable to the Opposition’s “anti-Marathi” line of attack.
Team Uddhav Senses A Chance
With Eknath Shinde in a fix, his arch-rivals in Sena UBT have launched a scathing attack on their estranged partner. Sena (UBT) leader has said Mr Shinde and his supporters should remove photographs of the late Bal Thackeray from their offices if they still ally with BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who made a controversial remark amid the language row. “If Eknath Shinde cannot speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on this matter, he should resign. It is the responsibility of (Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to rein in Dubey,” he said. “Eknath Shinde, who considers himself the leader of the duplicate Shiv Sena, should cut off his beard,” Mr Raut added.