The estranged cousins, Uddhav Thackeray, who leads the truncated Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), have finally understood why they should have remained united as part of the original Shiv Sena instead of following their own ambitions. Unfortunately, it might be twenty years too late! Even so, better late than never and the new alliance that they have forged to contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Nashik Municipal Corporation elections will provide them a better chance to counter the MahaYuti Alliance that governs the state.
Everybody knows that they are counting on the chauvinistic surge in Marathi pride that has re-emerged lately. Accordingly, they have promised that their BMC mayor will be a ‘Marathi Manoos’. Also, the shift by Uddhav Thackeray in the past few years towards the ‘secular’ part of the political spectrum is expected to provide him the support of Mumbai’s considerable Muslim votebank. The challenge for the new alliance will be to somehow negotiate the long existing rivalry between their parties at the grassroots when it is time to choose candidates. The decision of the Congress to contest alone will also impact on their prospects. It will undoubtedly be a decisive moment in Mumbai politics.
They will be contesting against the ‘triple engine’ model of the BJP, which has been favoured by the electorate at many places, largely because people desire better, more effective governance instead of pointless politics. It also seems that the Marathas see more of themselves in the self-made leader Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena, who is allied with the BJP. The strength of this sentiment will become known in the coming contest.
The stakes are high as BMC is a very wealthy corporation and provides tremendous clout to those in power. At the same time, it faces many challenges that cannot be addressed without support at the higher government levels. An antagonistic relationship between the local and state governments can stall many important development initiatives. As such, the voters have an important choice before them – identity or smooth governance. Or will confusion deliver a verdict that will require post-poll negotiations between those who are adversaries today?
