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Uddhav Thackeray seems to have been unable to turn the optimism after the Lok Sabha elections into votes, signaling the lack of a cohesive strategy
For now, as Uddhav Thackeray licks his wounds, the need of the hour is to lay down a roadmap for the fractured party. (PTI)
Have the Maharashtra results forever quelled the debate over the real Shiv Sena? Saturday proved to be one of the toughest days in the political journey of Uddhav Thackeray as the former chief minister led his faction of the Sena to its worst show, handing the state to the BJP-led Mahayuti and proving Eknath Shinde right — the voters had decided who the real Sena was.
Before the 2024 assembly polls, Uddhav Thackeray was confident that the people of the state — who had always upheld the legacy of his father Balasaheb Thackeray — would punish Shinde for leading a rebellion that split the party into two. To add insult to injury, the former chief minister lost his claim to the iconic bow and arrow symbol of the Sena, seemingly losing his grip over Balasaheb’s heritage. This was also a legacy that Shinde was vying for and finally succeeded in achieving.
Throughout the election campaign, Shinde invoked Balasaheb’s memory to claim that his son had strayed from his path by aligning with ideologically opposed Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, dumping its long-term ally BJP. The voters too seem to have internalised Shinde’s message.
As of 5pm, the Shinde’s Sena is leading in 56 seats while Uddhav’s camp is ahead on 21. The Maharashtra chief minister’s victory comes close on the heels of his camp’s strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he won seven of 15 seats, compared to Uddhav Thackeray’s nine of 21 seats.
So, what went wrong for the former chief minister? Political experts believe while Uddhav Thackeray was catering to the minorities, the Mahayuti kept its focus on the development schemes such as Ladki Bahin and the need for OBC consolidation. In a rally, Shinde termed Shiv Sena (UBT) “divisive”, slamming their ‘flaming torch’ symbol. “They call it a symbol of revolution, but it sets homes ablaze and divides communities,” Shinde had said.
Uddhav Thackeray also seems to have been unable to turn the optimism after the Lok Sabha elections into votes, signaling the lack of a cohesive strategy which left voters disillusioned as there was no strong narrative to bind them.
News18 had also reported that the tussle for the chief minister’s chair could be one of the major reasons why the MVA was unable to woo voters as fractured cadre were busy canvassing for their own leaders instead of putting up a united front.
One of the earliest swipes at Uddhav Thackeray came from Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde who invoked Balasaheb once again. “Shiv Sena is not a private limited company… people have shown who is taking Balasaheb’s ideals forward,” said Shrikant.
In the run-up to the elections, Uddhav Thackeray had challenged Fadnavis at an internal party meeting —“Either you survive or I”. On Saturday, the former chief minister’s words must be coming back to haunt him, given the buzz in Maharashtra about Fadnavis being considered for the chief minister’s crown.
For now, as Uddhav Thackeray licks his wounds, the need of the hour is to lay down a roadmap for the fractured party to rise from the ashes — not just for itself but also the INDIA bloc that has suffered yet another blow with the Maharashtra mandate.
