Mumbai:

A blockbuster political battle brews in Mumbai – Bollywood’s beating heart – with Aaditya Thackeray, the popular son of Shiv Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray, set to fight charismatic ex Congress MP Milind Deora, who jumped from that party to Eknath Shinde’s breakaway Sena faction in January.

Sources Friday morning said the Shinde Sena had confirmed Mr Deora’s candidature, a day after Mr Thackeray’s party said he would defend his seat.

The two will also face-off against Sandeep Deshpande of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena of Raj Thackeray, who is Uddhav Thackeray’s cousin.

Thackeray junior holds the Worli seat – a Shiv Sena stronghold – that will vote, with the state’s 287 other Assembly constituencies, on November 20.

Except Worli isn’t just a Sena stronghold.

Sena vs Sena In Worli

The posh neighbourhood is in the Mumbai (South) Lok Sabha constituency that is widely seen as the backyard of the Deora family; Murli Deora won this seat four times, including a hat-trick of wins from 1984 to 1991, and his son, Milind Deora, claimed two consecutive wins – in 2004 and 2009.

Yes, since then the Sena has held Mumbai (South).

Arvind Sawant claimed a hat-trick of wins in the April-June federal election. The third was with the Thackeray Sena – as that party, the Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP dominated the Lok Sabha poll in the state – suggesting Aaditya Thackeray has the edge, but nothing is ever certain in politics.

Back in March the Shinde Sena gave its new recruit, Milind Deora, the responsibility of leading its Lok Sabha election charge in the Mumbai (South) constituency.

There was speculation then Mr Deora would be nominated to contest the seat – which seemed the obvious thing to do – but that fizzled out after the party appointed him to the Rajya Sabha.

Mr Deora would, therefore, only oversee the Shinde Sena’s Lok Sabha campaign. And he did a credible job; Arvind Sawant’s winning margin dropped from 1.28 lakh votes in 2019 to just about one lakh.

But the margin of Aaditya Thackeray’s win in the 2019 state election – he had a 65 per cent vote share advantage – underlines the magnitude of the task for the Shinde Sena and Milind Deora.

What will provide a boost is that in the Lok Sabha election Worli voters gave Mr Sawant a very narrow win – he finished less than 7,000 votes ahead of the Shinde Sena’s Yamini Jadhav.

A Third Challenger?

Raj Thackeray could be the dark horse in this election. His MNS opted not to field a candidate from Worli in 2019 to respect Aaditya Thackeray’s electoral debut.

READ | For Aaditya Thackeray, Worli Challenge Likely From Uncle’s Party

But all bets are off now, especially since the reduced margin in the Lok Sabha polls signals an opportunity to gain ground. “In 2017 (in municipal polls), we bagged around 30,000 to 33,000 votes from Worli. We have voters dedicated to MNS here…” Mr Deshpande told news agency PTI.

Aaditya Thackeray, though, is unfazed.

“The People Know…”

The junior Thackeray led a massive rally Thursday as he filed his papers, and told NDTV, “… the people have realised the BJP is a party of hollow promises (and) will stand against Eknath Shinde…”

READ | “People Know BJP, Shinde Looted State”: Aaditya Thackeray To NDTV

Asked about the battle for Worli, he said, “You can see the response of the people. That is their love… The common man and woman on the streets are giving me their blessings.”

What Is Worli Like?

Home to some of India’s wealthiest men and women, the Worli skyline is marked by high-rises and thriving business hubs. But it also contains dilapidated chawls awaiting redevelopment.

Many slum rehabilitation projects have been stalled, and some redeveloped buildings have not provided promised monthly rentals to residents.

The Maharashtra election – one of the two final state polls this year, the other being in Jharkhand – will take place in a single phase on November 20, with results for both states due three days later.

READ | Congress, Uddhav Sena, Sharad Pawar’s Party To Fight 85 Seats Each

The 2019 election was won by the BJP-Sena alliance but that fell apart, spectacularly, after the two failed to agree a power-share deal. Uddhav Thackeray then led the Sena into an alliance with the Congress and the NCP (unlikely partners both) and that angered some of his party leaders.

Two years later Eknath Shinde led a rebellion and overthrew the ruling alliance. He was made the Chief Minister and, in July last year, Ajit Pawar staged a similar revolt within the NCP.

The BJP is allied with the rebel Sena and NCP factions.

With input from agencies

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Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray
| Photo Credit: PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) faction led by Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena-led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will hold separate Dussehra rallies in the state on Saturday (October 12, 2024), aiming to show their strength just before the assembly polls in the State.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) rally will be held at Shivaji Park while the Ekanth Shinde faction’s rally will be held at Azad Maidan. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “It has been a tradition for more than 50 years – only 2 Dussehra rallies are famous – Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally which was started by Balasaheb Thackery and the other one is of RSS’ Dussehra rally in Nagpur. Now, the duplicate Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the Sena of Modi and Shah is also organising the Dussehra rally in the name of Shiv Sena, many other organisations also do rallies but the importance of the rally that is organised in Shivaji Park has always been more in the country and State.

“”Today, our rally will be held. After Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray is leading the party and he will address the rally. Bow and arrow has always been our symbol, but Modi-Shah through theft gave it to dishonest and duplicate people, but it doesn’t change anything. Bow and arrow will always be in our hearts but our symbol is Mashal [flame] now. This Mashal induces fire but also gives light,” Mr. Raut added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey termed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction as a “duplicate” and said that Uddhav Thackeray has worked for the honour of Maharashtra while others have backstabbed and have been the servitors of Delhi. Mr. Dubey said, “Today, two [Dussehra] rallies are taking place in Mumbai – one, of the real Shiv Sena and the other, of the duplicate Shiv Sena. The real Shiv Sena is taking place at Shivtirth, like every year. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray can’t be compared to any other Shiv Sainik or any other duplicate Shiv Sainik. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has worked for the honour and character of Maharashtra. Others have backstabbed Maharashtra and have been the servitors of Delhi.””In a month or two, the duplicate Shiv Sena will not be seen anywhere. There will be just one Shiv Sena,” Mr. Dubey added.

Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction leader Sanjay Nirupam targeted Uddhav Thackeray and said that he has sidelined Hindutva after allying with Congress.”Shiv Sena rally has a historical context. When Balasaheb used to address the Dussehra rally, he used to give his views on Hindutva to the Shiv Sainiks. There were strong comments, especially on the Congress’s policy of appeasement and the communal approach they followed in the name of secularism. Today Uddhav Thackeray has formed an alliance with Congress and has sidelined Hindutva. So he will not be able to speak much on Hindutva in his rally because it will disturb his Muslim votes,” he said.

“In the true sense, the thoughts of Balasaheb Thackeray will be expressed in Azad Maidan which will be addressed by Eknath Shinde. Along with that, there will be his sharp comments on the bad things that Congress has spread in the country,” Mr. Nirupam added.

Another Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said, “Lakhs of people will come. The rally will be held at Azad Maidan. To hear the ideas of Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sainiks used to come here from across the country…Shiv Sena had deviated from its path and Eknath Shinde is bringing it back to its path. All his supporters, Hindutva supporters will be there in large numbers.”Uddhav Thackeray on October 8 slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing it of attempting to change the constitution and creating “a fight in the whole country”.

“The government sitting in Delhi was going to change the constitution but they could not do so. The results that have come in Haryana and Kashmir today, the people of every state take their own decisions.There was never a fight between Gujarati and Marathi.The two thugs sitting in Delhi have created a fight in the whole country,” Thackeray said.Referring to the recent Lok Sabha election results, Mr. Thackeray said, “We are proud that Maharashtra has brought them to their knees in the Lok Sabha.

“He further asserted that Shiv Sena still stand with Hindutva but not with BJP.”My grandfather fought against the wrong Hindutvaists of that time, Babasaheb also said this. I left BJP, but that does not mean that we have left Hindutva,” he said.The 288 seats Maharashtra Assembly will go to polls later this year. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the poll dates. The upcoming Maharashtra election will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).

Mumbai:

Mumbai’s annual Dussehra rally – traditionally a chance for political messaging, particularly in an election years like this – will be held today, with the rival Shiv Sena factions holding individual events, as they have since the Eknath Shinde vs Uddhav Thackeray battle split the party in two.

Mr Thackeray’s faction will hold its rally at the historic Shivaji Park – home to Sena Dussehra allies every year since the late 1960s, starting from party founder Balsaheb Thackeray.

The rival group led by Mr Shinde will hold his rally at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.

Both will be hours-long events with festivities and food stalls leading up to the main event – speeches by ex-Chief Minister Thackeray and Chief Minister Shinde at their respective grounds.

Both sides may have to deal with muddy terrain given recent heavy rain in the city, but Thackeray Sena leader Sanjay Raut has insisted this will not affect the day’s schedule.

Ahead of today’s rallies, both sides have released teasers.

The Shinde faction’s teaser shows a tiger – called Sena – tied to the Congress with a rope cut by Mr Shinde with an arrow. The Thackeray Sena’s poster talks about saving Maharashtra’s pride and burying traitors – a reference to the MLAs who joined Mr Shinde in the rebellion.

The battle for Maharashtra – perhaps the last prestige election of the year – will see a Congress, battered by defeat in Haryana and a humbling Jammu and Kashmir this month, go up against a BJP that has won three of the six Assembly polls in 2024 and the April-June general election.

But these are the supporting acts.

The main battle will see factions of the Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, which also saw a Sena-like split after nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against uncle and party patriarch Sharad Pawar.

The Thackeray Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP are allied with the Congress under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) banner, while the other two are allied with the BJP as the Mahayuti alliance.

The former alliance has the bragging rights after a strong performance in the Lok Sabha poll; MVA parties won 30 of the state’s 48 seats, with the Congress claiming an impressive 13.

Much of that confidence, though, may have been eroded by the Congress’ poor show in Haryana and J&K. The Thackeray Sena – allied with that party at the national level too, under the INDIA bloc – ripped into Rahul Gandhi and co. this week, accusing it of not accommodating allies.

The Congress’ Maharashtra unit responded swiftly, pointing out that political realities between each state are different and that, in their state, the party is committed to working with allies.

The BJP and the Mahayuti alliance have talked up their chances of returning to power, with Mr Shinde’s Sena faction positioning itself as the ‘true’ heir to the legacy of Balsaheb Thackeray.

It won’t just be the Sena vs Sena Dussehra rallies in focus.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil – who made headlines for a hunger fast over demand for reservation for his community – will address an event in Beed district. He has not, thus far, made an overt political move, but the MVA and Mahayuti are both on alert.

Last week Patil issued a warning of sorts, demanding reservation be confirmed before the Model Code of Conduct kicks in. “Both sides should not play politics with the Marathas,” he said.

Election dates (Maharashtra and Jharkhand) have not been announced yet – they are expected after Dussehra – but party sources say voting is likely to take place mid-November.

Mumbai:

The Sena versus Sena battle heated up on the occasion of the Shiv Sena foundation day as Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde held parallel programmes in two parts of Mumbai. And from Sion’s Shanmukhanand Hall, Uddhav Thackeray, powered by the people’s support, issued an open challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Modi-ji I invite you to start campaign for assembly election in Maharashtra… it will be you versus me,” he said, pointing to the election due by year-end.

“My message to the BJP — try winning an election without using my original symbol. I am proud that we did not use anyone else’s picture. We will never use either, especially of PM Modi. I challenge PM Modi to start preparations today – keeping this fake Shiv Sena away,” he added.

Mr Thackeray also rubbished speculation about the two Sena factions joining hands and remaining in the NDA fold. He would never go with those who tried to “finish off” his party, Mr Thackeray said.

Though the rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde was awarded the name and election symbol of the undivided Shiv Sena by the Election Commission, the voters had decisively settled the legacy issue. And they did not agree with the poll body.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena won nine seats and the Shinde faction seven.

The other party in the same boat,  the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, won eight seats. The faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar — which also got the name and party symbol from the Election Commission — only one.

Ally Congress won 13 seats.

The people’s disapproval of the political upheaval in the state extended to the BJP, which, Mr Shinde once let slip, had engineered the Sena split. The party’s score was cut down to nine seats, from 23 in 2019 .

But Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remained determined to push the point he based his rebellion on — that Mr Thackeray had strayed from the ideology set down by Sena founder and his father Balasaheb Thackeray.

“Where has your Hindutva gone? You have no right to seek votes in Balasaheb Thackeray’s name,” he said at a massive rally in Worli’s NSCI dome.  “Even a small kid will tell you that the Shiv Sena UBT won because of the Congress’ vote bank. Those who left Bal Thackeray’s thoughts for position, lost in the election. Bal Thackeray always talked against the Congress,” he added.

But Mr Thackeray had already covered the point.

“We got votes of all patriots, people of all religions. They said we left Hindutva, because we went with the Congress. I did not leave Hindutva. If everyone voted for us to save the country and the constitution, then people are with us. It shows the BJP is the one that left Hindutva,” Mr Thackeray said.

Nagpur:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said he rebelled because Uddhav Thackeray abandoned the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

Addressing a meeting of his party workers in Ramtek in Nagpur, Mr Shinde said he did not want to become chief minister but had to rebel after seeing Bal Thackeray’s ideology being compromised. Mr Shinde broke away from the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit in June 2022 and formed government with the backing of the BJP.

“Balasaheb Thackeray used to consider us (party functionaries) as friends but he thinks of us as house-helps,” the Chief Minister said in another jibe at the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief.

He also said a party grows when leaders reach out to the grassroot worker rather than sitting at home.

Asking people to vote for the ruling alliance in order to make Narendra Modi prime minister for the third time, Mr Shinde said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi does not have any agenda or intention for development.

“The seat sharing details between parties in the ruling alliance will be completed in two to three days. The Mahayuti will win all seats in Vidarbha,” he later told reporters at the airport.

Responding to a statement by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray that the CM gave away four to five seats to allies to ensure his son gets renominated from Kalyan, Mr Shinde said those coming up with such criticism must look at the tussles in the MVA.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the Maharashtra Speaker’s ruling on the Sena vs Sena dispute – in which the faction led by Eknath Shinde was declared the “real Sena” based on its “discernible legislative majority” – and asked if the conclusion was contrary to its instructions.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud made the oral observation as it heard pleas from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction (or what was the united Shiv Sena) challenging Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s decision to not disqualify the MLAs – including Mr Shinde – who had switched to the BJP.

The court ordered the Speaker’s office to submit all original records pertaining to disqualification pleas filed by Mr Thackeray’s camp, and asked Mr Shinde’s camp to file a reply by April 1.

The summoning of records was in response to forgery allegations by the Shinde faction.

The next hearing will be in the second week of the same month, the court said, adding, it will also hear then objections by the Shinde side – that this matter is worthy of being heard by the top court.

The court also said it was keeping open the issue of maintainability of the petition.

READ | Thackeray Approaches Court Over Speaker’s “Real Shiv Sena” Decision

On January 10, Rahul Narwekar ruled in favour of the Shinde faction, calling it the “real Shiv Sena” and holding, therefore, that disqualification of its MLAs could not be sought by the Thackeray faction.

READ | Eknath Shinde Faction Is “Real Sena”, Says Speaker

He said he was relying on the legislative strength of the Shinde camp; his final ruling noted it had a strength of 37 of 55 seats (won by the then united Sena in the 2019 Assembly election).

However, in May last year, the Supreme Court had said the Speaker should not base his decision on “a blind appreciation of which group possess a majority in the Legislative Assembly”. The Constitution Bench of the court said a decision on the “real Sena” was more than numbers.

An incensed Mr Thackeray had called Mr Narwekar’s decision an “insult to the Supreme Court and (a) murder of democracy”. The former Chief Minister said the Speaker made a “thief” – a jab at to Eknath Shinde – “master of the House”, and had exceeded the brief given to him by the court.

READ | “Why Were We Not Disqualified,” Thackeray Questions Speaker

“The court had given a framework but he distorted it into something else… he thinks he is above the Supreme Court. He should have made laws against party-hopping stricter but was busy clearing a path for himself,” he said, pointing out also Mr Narwekar had “changed parties many times”.

After splitting in June 2022, the factions served a clutch of disqualification notices against each other. The Thackeray faction sought the removal of as many as 40 Shinde camp MLAs, which, in turn, wanted 14 of its rivals disqualified. The Speaker, though, had dismissed all these petitions.

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Mumbai (Maharashtra):

After the Supreme Court order, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar said that a copy of the order had not yet been received, adding that the decision would be taken in a reasonable time.

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed disapproval over the delay by the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in deciding the disqualification petitions against 56 MLAs including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and asked him to set a timeline for the hearing them within a week.

“The copy of the order has not yet been received. The hearing in the disqualification petitions will take its own course. The decision will be taken in a reasonable time,” Rahul Narvekar said.

He further said, “According to my information, the Supreme Court has recognised that the Speaker is a Constitutional position, and the court cannot intervene in his functioning.”

The court also observed that nothing has happened in the matter except for the issuance of notice. The Court asked the Speaker to keep the matter within a week for passing procedural directions.

“In the hearing, Supreme Court said that as per its judgement released on May 11 wherein it was decided that Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker will take a decision regarding disqualification, no proceedings held so far even after four months. The Court kept waiting for it…Without taking much time, the disqualification proceedings should begin,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Anil Desai on Supreme Court’s disapproval of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker’s delay in decision on disqualification petitions.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it had been asking the Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, to decide on the matter for four months.

The Speaker cannot delay the proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution indefinitely and there has to be a sense of respect to the directions passed by the top court,” the court said.

“Order of this court requires the Speaker to decide proceedings within a reasonable period of time. We expect deference and dignity to the directions issued exercised using Constitutional power. We now direct procedural directions shall be issued by the Speaker within a week setting out a timeline to complete the proceedings. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta shall inform the court about what is the timeline being set for disposing of the proceedings,” the bench said.

During the hearing, CJI said that the Speaker has to dispose of the disqualification petitions pending before him. “You can’t say that I will hear it in due course. You have to keep giving dates. It appears nothing has happened (since May),” the bench observed.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Speaker, said that he was being ridiculed despite being a Constitutional functionary.

The top court noted that a total of 34 petitions filed by both groups of Shiv Sena against each other seeking the disqualification of 56 MLAs are pending before the Speaker.

The court was hearing a plea filed in July by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena seeking direction to the Speaker to take an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. The plea was filed by MLA Sunil Prabhu of Uddhav Thackeray’s group of Shiv Sena.

Speaker in brazen disregard to his constitutional duties as a neutral arbiter, has sought to delay the adjudications of the disqualification petitions, thereby, permitting the illegal continuance of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister, against whom the disqualification petitions are pending for almost a year, the plea has said.

Speaker’s conduct in choosing to deliberately delay the adjudication of the disqualification petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray group against the delinquent members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, it has added.

The disqualification pleas have been pending since the Maharashtra political crises started. The plea sought direction for the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions within a time-bound manner.

Sunil Prabhu in his plea contended that in the present case, the delinquent MLAs against whom disqualification petitions are pending have committed “brazenly unconstitutional acts” which per se invite disqualification under Paras 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b), and 2(2) of the Tenth Schedule.

The Speaker’s inaction in deciding the disqualification proceedings is an “act of grave constitutional impropriety” as his inaction is allowing MLAs who are liable to be disqualified to continue in the assembly and to hold responsible positions in the government of Maharashtra including that of the Chief Minister, the plea added.

“It is settled law that the Speaker while performing its functions under Para 6 of the Tenth Schedule, acts as a judicial tribunal, and is required to act in a fair and unbiased manner. The constitutional requirement of fairness enjoins upon the Speaker the obligation to decide the question of disqualification in an expeditious manner. Any unreasonable delay on the part of the Speaker in deciding the petitions for disqualification contributes to and perpetuates the constitutional sin of defection committed by the delinquent members,” the petition stated.

Prabhu said though the Supreme Court in its May 11 judgment asked the Speaker to decide pending disqualification petitions within a reasonable period, the Speaker has taken no steps in that regard. He said he has already submitted three representations on this score to the Speaker, but to no avail.

The disqualification petitions against the rebel MLAs were filed by Sunil Prabhu, the Shiv Sena party Whip appointed by Uddhav Thackeray, on June 23, 2022 after the MLAs revolted against Thackeray. The notices of disqualification were issued by Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal in the absence of the Speaker.

On May 11, a five-judge Constitution bench had held that it cannot disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minster because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the Assembly.

In August last year, the top court’s three-judge bench had referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis.

On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governor’s direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30.

After the court’s order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)