How Bal Thackeray had blessed track II efforts to reunite Uddhav, Raj
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray have hinted they may smoke the peace pipe. In a podcast interaction, Raj said a patch-up with his older cousin may not be difficult. Uddhav has returned the favour by saying he was willing to set aside any differences between them.This has led to hopes of the estranged Thackeray cousins coming together two decades after their political estrangement. Talk of a possible reconcilement have also revived memories of how Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had blessed a track II effort to create public pressure and ensure that the two cousins eventually patched up.advertisementUddhav and Raj are first cousins twice over—their father Bal and Shrikant are brothers and mothers Sarla aka Meenatai and Kundatai aka Madhuwanti are sisters. Raj, who was the president of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS), the now-defunct student wing of the undivided Shiv Sena, was seen as his uncle's political successor. However, he had to gradually make way for Uddhav in the party, and eventually quit it in 2005 to form the MNS the next year.In 2009, just three years after his party was launched, the MNS put up 11 candidates during the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, and supported an Independent in Aurangabad. The anti-Hindi-speaking migrant campaign launched by the party saw it get a groundswell of support from Marathi voters and even sections of Gujaratis, Marwaris and Jains in Mumbai and the nearby areas.advertisement
Eventually, the MNS failed to win a single seat, but the presence of party candidates in the fray ensured that Shiv Sena and BJP nominees lost on nine seats. In the subsequent assembly polls, the MNS got 13 seats and was blamed for the defeat of BJP and Shiv Sena candidates in 66 constituencies. It helped the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secure a third term in power.Given the performance of the MNS in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Maharashtra in 2009, the sentiment among the core voters of the party and the Shiv Sena (UBT) grew for the two cousins to unite. It was felt that their rift divided the pro-Marathi votes in Mumbai and nearby areas, and helped the Congress and NCP.It was at this time that Satish Valanju, a veteran Shiv Sainik and entrepreneur, and six of his friends had launched the initiative 'Majhi Chalval' (My movement) on May 16, 2010. The day was Akshay Tritiya. The idea was to create public pressure for the unification of Uddhav and Raj.Word about the initiative got around and on May 14, 2010, Valanju was invited to a talk show on a Marathi news channel. Valanju, who knew Thackeray Senior closely and even handled the pest control at 'Matoshree', the Thackeray family residence at Kalanagar in Bandra (East) in Mumbai, called him up and asked him to watch it. Thackeray watched the show and rang up Valanju the next day to 'bless' the initiative.advertisement'Majhi Chalval' organised a series of public meetings in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Thane to generate a public push for Raj and Uddhav to unite. A photograph popularised by the group had Bal Thackeray at the centre with his arms around the shoulders of Uddhav and Raj. 'I want to see this picture again,' read the caption.Valanju was scheduled to fly to Australia when Ravi Mhatre, who was Thackeray's close aide and personal assistant, rang him to ask him to keep his mobile phone turned on just in case Bal Thackeray wanted to contact him. In a public meeting at Damodar Hall at Parel in Mumbai, Valanju attacked senior Shiv Sena leaders Manohar Joshi and Sanjay Raut and was chastised by Thackeray, who asked if he was trying to break or mend relationships.As Valanju recalled later: 'I promised him I would not say anything that could mar the prospects of Raj and Uddhav's unification. Saheb was very pleased at the initiative. He wanted this to happen.'advertisementOn September 5, 2010, 'Majhi Chalval' organised a silent march with around 10,000 participants. Launched from the site of Meenatai's bust at Shivaji Park in Dadar (West), it wound its way to Raj's house located a stone's throw away, and later to Matoshree. Raj, however, did not meet the protesters to accept their bouquet and memorandum, which sought that the cousins unite respecting the sentiments of the people. At Matoshree, Uddhav met them and though he did not accept the letter, he took the flowers.However, on January 23, 2011, which was Bal Thackeray's birthday, 'Majhi Chalval' was dissolved. Though the movement failed to bring the Thackeray cousins together, Valanju admits they had succeeded in bringing these issues into the mainstream public discourse.'This is for the first time that Raj's overtures have met with a warm response This is a positive sign,' said Valanju, when asked about the latest reunification noises.Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch
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New Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Initiate process of electing LS deputy speaker: Kharge writes to PM Modi
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Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Initiate process of electing LS deputy speaker: Mallikarjun Kharge to PM Modi
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to initiate the process of electing a deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Keeping the position vacant "does not augur well for India's democratic polity and is also in violation of well laid out provisions of the Constitution," the Congress chief said. "Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to bring to your kind attention the highly concerning matter in regard to the prevailing vis-A -vis the vacancy of the deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tabletă Puternică la Preț Incredibil - Oferta Limitată! LUO Cumpără acum Undo "Article 93 of the Constitution of India mandates the election of both the speaker and the deputy speaker of the House of the People. Constitutionally, the deputy speaker is the second-highest presiding officer of the House after the speaker," he said. Kharge said traditionally, the deputy speaker has been elected in the second or third session of a newly constituted Lok Sabha. Live Events The procedure for this election mirrors that of the speaker, with the only distinction being that the date for the deputy speaker's election is fixed by the speaker, as per Rule 8(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, he noted. In his letter to the PM, Kharge noted that from the first to the sixteenth Lok Sabha, every House has had a deputy speaker. By and large, it has been a well-established convention to appoint the deputy speaker from among the members of the principal opposition party, he said. "However, for the first time in independent India's history, this position has remained vacant for two consecutive Lok Sabha terms. No deputy speaker was elected during the seventeenth Lok Sabha, and this concerning precedent continues in the ongoing eighteenth Lok Sabha," Kharge said. "This does not augur well for India's democratic polity and is also in violation of well laid out provisions of the Constitution," the Congress chief said. "In view of the foregoing and in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the House and the democratic ethos of our Parliament, I request your good self to initiate the process of electing a deputy speaker of Lok Sabha without any further delay," he asserted Kharge's demand comes ahead of Parliament's Monsoon session of Parliament starting from July 21.
