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Shivaji Park, known as a historic ground in Mumbai for both cricket and political milestones, has witnessed several key political transitions.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar addresses a press conference in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)
The grand alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured a significant majority in the recently-held Maharashtra Assembly Elections. With this victory, the process of forming the Mahayuti government has begun in the state. While discussions about seat-sharing within the alliance are underway, preparations for the government’s swearing-in ceremony are also in full swing.
There is speculation that the event could take place at iconic locations like Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, or Shivaji Park. However, a curious political tradition haunts these locations: no government sworn in at Shivaji Park has ever completed its full term, regardless of its strength or majority.
Shivaji Park, known as a historic ground in Mumbai for both cricket and political milestones, has witnessed several key political transitions. However, it also carries a reputation for a ‘curse’ – two previous governments sworn in there did not finish their tenure. In 1995 and 2019, governments were inaugurated at Shivaji Park, but both faced early exits. The possibility of another swearing-in ceremony at this location has raised eyebrows, especially given that the Shiv Sena is a common thread in all three cases.
1995 Shiv Sena-BJP Government
In 1995, after the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance won the assembly elections, the government was sworn in with a coalition of independents to secure a majority. Manohar Joshi was appointed the Chief Minister, but he resigned shortly after under pressure from Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray. Narayan Rane replaced him as Chief Minister, but the coalition soon decided to call for early elections, unable to complete its term. This marked the beginning of a pattern, as the alliance lost power in subsequent terms.
2019 Maha Vikas Aghadi Government
The swearing-in ceremony of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in 2019 took place at Shivaji Park with much fanfare, as the Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP came together, despite their ideological differences. Uddhav Thackeray, a member of the Thackeray family, took the oath as Chief Minister, surprising many. However, after just two and a half years, the MVA government collapsed when Eknath Shinde split from the Shiv Sena, leading to the fall of the coalition.
As talks of a new swearing-in ceremony at Shivaji Park resurface, political observers are curious to see if this new government will break the trend or fall victim to the same fate as its predecessors.
