3 days ago
Marathi Manoos to be centre-stage once more in Sena (UBT) BMC poll campaign
MUMBAI: The Marathi manoos and the attempts to reduce his importance in Mumbai is likely to be the central idea of the Shiv Sena (UBT) campaign strategy for the crucial BMC polls which are expected to be held after the monsoon.
Given the recent Marathi-versus-Gujarati controversy stemming from the statements of RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi and the government's attempt to make Hindi a compulsory third language in school curricula, the Shiv Sena (UBT) party has planned to focus on its old Sons of the Soil issue and the first right of the Marathi manoos over Mumbai in its poll campaign. Titled 'Ladha Aaplya Mumbai saathi' (Battle for our Mumbai), the campaign, according to party insiders, will be led by the party's youth wing chief Aaditya Thackeray.
The Shiv Sena was founded by the late Bal Thackeray on the Sons of the Soil issue in the 1960s. After the split in the party and losing power to the Eknath Shinde-BJP alliance, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has been accusing the BJP and particularly prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah of reducing the importance of Mumbai by shifting establishments out of the metropolis. Thackeray has also opposed the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and alleged that Modi-Shah want to gift land across the city to the Adani group in the name of rehabilitation of Dharavi residents.
This strategy gave good results to the party, as it won three of the six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai. Although it lost the assembly elections badly and could win only 20 seats, half of those were from Mumbai, which means the party is still a force in the city. The Thackeray father-son duo is now banking on goodwill from Marathi loyalists of the undivided Shiv Sena and Thackeray's new party to win the BMC polls.
The party has decided to hold gatherings of its workers and various organisations to kickstart the campaign with a focus on issues such as the DRP and land acquisition for it at various locations. As Mulund residents were the first to protest against the rehabilitation of Dharavi residents outside Dharavi on June 9, the party will hold a gathering at Mulund to be addressed by Aaditya Thackeray. On Wednesday, Aaditya also met people from Dharavi and assured them of support in their fight for proper rehabilitation.
A Shiv Sena leader said that Uddhav Thackeray had directed partymen on May 9 to raise their voice on local issues in the respective municipal corporations prior to the local body polls. 'Accordingly, a campaign centred around the battle for Mumbai has been planned for the BMC elections,' he said. 'The DRP and land for rehabilitation granted to it across Mumbai will be centre-stage, as there is a growing sentiment that Mumbai land is being gifted to Adani. Besides this, the corruption in the cement roads project, the poor condition of roads across the city, poor execution of drain cleaning, water logging in Mumbai and property tax will be key issues.'
Anil Parab, who has played a key role in the Sena (UBT)'s election management and several BMC election campaigns, indicated that Uddhav Thackeray would sound the bugle for the BMC polls on June 19. 'Party workers have started raising their voice over local issues like water supply and property tax,' he said. 'The party leadership has consistently raised its voice on the DRP and related issues. June 19 is Party Foundation Day, and on that day, Uddhav Thackeray will present the political programme.'
