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Mumbai: It is a dream come true, a promise kept for senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut who tweeted about Shiv Sena having its own Chief Minister and that too a Thackeray addressing the party’s traditional annual Dusshera rally that used to be held at the jam-packed Shivaji Park, Dadar.
Fifty-four years after its foundation was laid on June 19, 1966 at the very same ground, Sena has had its first Thackeray – Uddhav Thackeray as its Chief Minister. Although, party veteran Manohar Joshi was the partys first chief minister way back in 1995 when it first tasted political power, a through-bred Thackeray as the chief minister is the cherished dream come true for the ardent Shivsainik.
Late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray abhorred the idea of becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra, but when he tasted power in 1995-99, he preferred to become the “Remote Control” of that first “Shivshahi” government. The alliance partner of that government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now its sworn enemy.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in a way broke the avowed vow of the family never to occupy the chief minister’s hot seat and neither to contest any election of sorts. In many of the firsts for the Thackeray’s, its scion Aaditya Thackeray contested the 2019 Assembly election from Worli and won. The father too took the Legislative Council route to retain his chief minister’s chair.
This year the Covid-19 pandemic has put a dampener on the traditional Dusshera rally as the Sena due to the restrictions cannot celebrate the event in a grand style. It will be a small indoor event at nearby Swatantryaveer Savarkar Smarak Hall opposite Shivaji Park with just 50 odd invited guests. The Shiv Sena has made elaborate arrangements for the live telecast of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on the social media platforms.
There are many issues before the Sena president and Chief Minister to talk about. The recent torrential rains have once again destroyed harvest ready crops, Nisarga cyclone wreaking havoc in Raigad, law and order issues, unlocking of the economy and many issues. It remains to be seen as to whether Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray decides to take on his detractors and the opposition head-on or prefers to give them the cold-shoulder.
