Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | I swear...: Uddhav Thackeray's emotional appeal to keep 'mashaal burning' at Dussehra rally

Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray - during the annual Dussehra rally - swore by legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his late father Balasaheb Thackeray to keep the “mashaal burning” as the Shiv Sena (UBT) played the 28 November, 2019 footage of him being sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Concluding the rally at the historic Shivaji Park, Thackeray said: “…I swear to keep this torch burning to bring Shiv-shahi Maharashtra as desired by Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray."

The people received this with a thunderous applause, many of whom hailed Thackeray as the future Chief Minister.

Thackeray’s Maha Vikas Aghadi was toppled on 30 June, 2024 by the BJP with the help of then party colleague Eknath Shinde, who is now the Chief Minister and controls the real Shiv Sena party as its chief leader.

The move of Thackeray comes ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls.

In fact, Thackeray and his close aide Sanjay Raut have been rooting to name MVA’s chief ministerial face, however, allies Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) are against the idea.

Thackeray, although on earlier occasions said that he does not want the top job, the latest development comes amidst the talks that naming a CM would be beneficial for MVA irrespective of the party.

Another interesting incident that happened in this year’s rally is that Thackeray’s son Aaditya too addressed the gathering.

“I have come here several times…I had seen my grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray speaking from this place…I have seen my father Uddhav Thackeray speaking from this place…when my grandfather addressed, my father never spoke…even when my father spoke, I never addressed….but today let me assure you when my father comes I will stop speaking,” he said.

Raut said that Aaditya has grown up into a good mass leader. “Maharashtra has a lot of hopes from you,” he said.

On the other hand, Shinde, during his rally at the historic Azad Maidan, hit out at Thackeray for compromising the ideals and bowing down before Delhi to become the Chief Minister.

“There was a time when Delhi leaders used to come to Mumbai to meet Balasaheb. But now he (Thackeray) goes to Delhi to seek the post of Chief Minister… your own allies don’t accept your face…how will the people of Maharashtra accept it,” said Shinde.

"We are following in the footsteps of the late Bal Thackeray.. We explode whenever injustice is done to people. We have been taught how to fight injustice. That’s why we threw out your government. Had we not come to power, Maharashtra would have lagged behind by several years in terms of development,” Shinde said.