Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the rival Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) are gearing up for Dussehra rallies in Mumbai as the Assembly elections in Maharashtra draw closer. Shinde’s faction will address its supporters at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, while the UBT faction will hold their rally at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar.
Despite both venues being left muddy due to heavy rains, Sanjay Raut from the UBT faction assured that the event will not be affected.
Transport sources have revealed that Shinde’s Sena has arranged for 3,000 private buses to transport their workers to the rally at Azad Maidan. Former MP Rahul Shewale mentioned that supporters are eagerly anticipating the Chief Minister’s address.
In anticipation of the rallies, both factions have released teasers to energize their base. The Shinde-led group’s teaser depicts a tiger marked with “Sena” being tied to the Congress with a rope, symbolizing betrayal, and then Chief Minister Shinde cutting the rope with an arrow, signifying his emergence as a leader.
On the other hand, the UBT faction’s teaser talks about upholding Maharashtra’s pride and eliminating “traitors”, referring to the rebel MLAs who caused Uddhav Thackeray’s government to fall. At the rally, Uddhav Thackeray is expected to launch criticisms against the BJP, who he holds responsible for splintering his party.
A senior official from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation stated that the Shinde faction had requested buses from the state transporter’s fleet for the rally, but no payment had been made as of late afternoon.
With the end of the current assembly term approaching on November 26, the rallies are projected to boost the morale of workers from both factions.
The Dussehra rally holds significant importance for the undivided Sena, as it has been a tradition since the 1960s for the party’s founder Bal Thackeray to address supporters at Shivaji Park. Following the split in June 2022, the UBT faction continued the tradition at Shivaji Park, while the Shinde-led Sena began holding rallies at Azad Maidan.
