Many more defections from Uddhav Thackeray led faction to Shinde camp likely before Dussehra, say sources
@the_news_21
Mumbai: Amidst the ongoing bitter war of words between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction and the rival Eknath Shinde led Sena faction over the holding of the annual Dussehra rally in Dadar’s historic Shivaji Park, Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday clarified that the Maharashtra government has “not blocked” any grounds for the rally as being claimed by the Uddhav Thackeray led Sena faction.
Replying to queries from newspersons, the Deputy Chief Minister remarked, “The government has not blocked any ground for the Dussehra gathering. If it is within the rules, the ground will be given to them (Uddhav camp).”
Earlier, Aaditya Thackeray and other leaders of the Uddhav faction had alleged the new Shinde-Fadnavis government (Sena (Shinde faction) – BJP coalition were deliberately denying them permission to hold their Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park ground on October 5.
Commenting on the allegations, Devendra Fadnavis said they were “the despairing cries of someone (Uddhav Thackeray) who has lost power.”
The annual Dussehra rally held at Shivaji Park, Dadar has always been inextricably linked to the Thackeray family. The intra-party revolt led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has prompted the Shinde faction to remark that Uddhav Thackeray has lost its right to hold the annual Dussehra rally as it had ‘abandoned’ its Hindutva ideals with its alliance with the ideologically opposed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress.
On his part, former chief minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has asserted that he would hold the annual Dussehra rally at ‘Shivtirth’ (as the Sena calls Shivaji Park) come what may despite his “detractors’ efforts to sow confusion”.
The tradition of the rally was started by Uddhav Thackeray’s father the late Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, who used the occasion to galvanise the party cadre with his trademark fiery speeches.
While Uddhav Thackeray has been continuing with this tradition since Balasaheb Thackeray’s demise in 2012, Eknath Shinde’s revolt which saw the majority of Sena MLAs and MPs deserting Uddhav Thackeray led Sena faction for Eknath Shinde camp, the ongoing struggle for ‘legitimacy’ within the party have raised a pressing question mark over which faction has the right to hold the rally.
Meanwhile, according to sources, the Eknath Shinde faction is planning to give another jolt to the embattled Uddhav camp ahead of the Dussehra rally, with one more MP along with two MLAs and a number of corporators expected to switch sides to the Shinde camp.
Grapevine has it that veteran Sena warhorse Gajanan Kirtikar, the Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai Northwest constituency, is highly likely to cross over to the Shinde camp.
Eknath Shinde and Gajanan Kirtikar have been in touch after the former assumed power in the state two months ago. Soon after he became the Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde had visited the septuagenarian Gajanan Kirtikar, who had been recovering from an illness at the latter’s home.
On Tuesday, Gajanan Kirtikar visited Eknath Shinde’s official residence for Ganesh darshan, sparking buzz of his possibility of leaving the Uddhav Thackeray camp.
Sources say that if Gajanan Kirtikar does switch over to the Shinde camp, his presence would greatly benefit the Shinde camp in its ongoing legal battle as well as in the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
