Amid the ongoing political back-and-forth in Maharashtra, the two warring Shiv Sena factions are now fighting over the historic venue of Shivaji Park in Mumbai for the annual Dussehra rally, a tradition held nearly unbroken since the party's founding.
Both the “original” Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and “real” Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have sent in a formal application to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to use the venue.
Vijaya Dashami falls on October 5 and it will be some time before the BMC takes a final call on whom to give the venue.
Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray had started the tradition of addressing annual Dussehra rallies at Shivaji Park in 1966, months after the party was founded in June of the year, and has remained a largely unbroken tradition.
The Shinde group is planning to invite Uddhav’s estranged cousin and MNS President Raj Thackeray as a chief guest as a special guest at the rally.
The MNS top brass has refused to comment.
However, Shinde neither confirmed nor denied about Raj's possible presence in the rally. “Lets wait for some time…now Ganeshutsav is underway….then final immersion on Anant Chaturdashi…then there are other festivals, then Navratri and then there would be Dussehra…there is time,” he said.
To repeated questions, he neither confirmed nor denied the development.
Last week, Shinde visited Raj’s residence Shivteerth off Shivaji Park at Dadar and offered prayers to Lord Ganesh. Raj is expected to undertake a return visit and offers prayer to Lord Ganesh at Varsha, the official residence of the Chief Minister in Malabar Hill.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar advised Shinde to avoid any confrontation over the Dussehra rally. “Everyone has the right to hold rallies but such disputes need to be avoided. He should take an all-inclusive approach instead of taking a confrontational stance,” said Pawar.
His nephew and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said that both should be allowed to hold rallies on the same day in turns. “The crowd will tell people who are with whom,” he said.