Mumbai: Last year, on the Shiv Sena’s 53rd foundation day, party president Uddhav Thackeray invited the then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to assure the Sena cadre that the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance is an ideological marriage, and is strong despite reports of differences.
But this year, as the party turned a year older Friday, Thackeray, now the chief minister, spoke to the Shiv Sena’s rank and file, and taunted the BJP for “playing politics”.
He also told party workers that despite all the political developments taking place for the last one year, the Shiv Sena’s ideology has not changed.
In an interaction with Sena functionaries via video conference Friday afternoon, CM Thackeray said: “I am only sitting here as chief minister because we tried to quell the attempts of those playing politics with us.
“Don’t bear with any injustice. The Shiv Sena has been born to fight injustice,” he said in an indirect reference to the BJP.
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‘Won’t go back on our words’
The Shiv Sena, which emerged as the second-largest party in the 2019 Maharashtra assembly election with 56 seats, snapped its pre-poll alliance with the BJP after the latter refused to share the chief minister’s post with the Shiv Sena.
The Sena insisted that sharing the chief minister’s post for half the term was part of its pre-poll pact with the BJP and accused its ally of welching on its words. Subsequently, the Shiv Sena joined hands with the rival Congress and the NCP instead to form a Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
“Trusting someone is not our weakness, but our virtue. Our culture is that we can give our life, but won’t go back on our words. Neither is the Shiv Sena helpless, nor is your party president,” Thackeray added.
‘Party’s ideology has not changed’
With the Shiv Sena now an ally of the Congress and NCP, which are seen as secular parties, and amid a growing perception that the Sena itself is shifting more to the left of the centre, Thackeray reiterated to his party leaders its core Hindutva agenda has not changed.
“The Shiv Sena has not changed its ideology. I went to the Shivneri Fort and to the Ekveera Devi temple. I went to the Ramjanmabhoomi (Ayodhya) with soil from the Shivneri fort and within a year there was a judgment on the Ram Mandir issue. We got the chief minister’s post. This is the effect of the Shivneri soil,” Thackeray said.
The chief minister has been trying hard to emphasise the Shiv Sena’s commitment to Hindutva and ensure that the party’s core voter base is not isolated after the Sena’s alliance with the Congress and NCP.
As the MVA government completed 100 days in power in March, Thackeray visited Ayodhya and said his party has only snapped ties with the BJP, not Hindutva, and the BJP does not represent Hindutva.
The CM had also held a round of district-level meetings with Sena leaders soon after the Shiv Sena decided to forge an alliance with the Congress and NCP to reassure them about the party’s ideological stance.
Thackeray’s address to Shiv Sena leaders Friday was his first formal one after taking charge of the CM’s post.
“Although I am not in touch with you all as much as earlier since I became the chief minister, I will not let any gap come between us,” he added.
Also read: Congress, NCP want ‘equal treatment’ of migrants, minorities to be on common agenda with Sena
Per my analysis these are last 5 years of SS in all the elections
खंडणी भी हमारी संस्कृती नही है ये भी कोई मायनो सेना को बतव
Congratulations to the MVA on successful completion of 1year of their term. Wish the MVA all the best for all the forth coming years. God Bless
Tiger Was Elected For Being With Lotus.Post Election Joined HANDS Holding SUGAR CANE.Ideology Gone With The Wind.Electorates Left With Ear To Ear Grin.Continues The Grin Grudgingly.