3 days ago, Shiv Sena turned 56, celebrated surviving storms. Then came the birthday gift | Political Pulse News,The Indian Express
The loss will be even more galling as son Uddhav Thackeray controls not just the party at this time but also the government, and could end up losing chief ministership of a lucrative state like Maharashtra.
On June 19, addressing party members on the day the Shiv Sena turned 56, president Uddhav Thackeray spoke with pride about how the party had overcome “storms” to lead Maharashtra. Two days later, the Sena is struggling to survive what is indisputably its toughest storm yet.
The challenger this time is the low-profile, soft-spoken senior leader and Cabinet minister Eknath Shinde, who like a true Sainik was valued for his roots to the ground, his rise up the ranks and, ironically, his loyalty.
With two-third Sena MLAs seemingly with Shinde as of Wednesday morning, the Thackerays are facing the improbable scenario of being at the losing end in a party that drew its lifeblood from founder-supremo and larger-than-life Bal Thackeray, 10 years after his death.
The loss will be even more galling as son Uddhav Thackeray controls not just the party at this time but also the government, and could end up losing chief ministership of a lucrative state like Maharashtra.
It was on June 19, 1966, that the Shiv Sena was formed in Mumbai, on the central plank of prioritising “Marathi manoos” or sons of the soil. In the 1970s, this agenda was expanded to adopting Hindutva. Bal Thackeray or Balasaheb, as he was addressed, drew his strength from the OBCs and set up an entrenched shakha system that soon became the first stop for civilians seeking quick resolution for their grievances. The Sainiks would oblige with their way of instant justice, not shying away from using strong-arm tactics, further increasing their popularity.
https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/shiv-sena-uddhav-thackeray-eknath-shinde-7984078/
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