The decline of Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections is evident. The public has expressed their trust in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena over that of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. It would be more appropriate to say that the people of Maharashtra have outright refused to recognize Uddhav's faction as Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde has taken Bal Thackeray's legacy, known as the Hindutva Heartthrob, from Uddhav Thackeray. It's clear that Uddhav himself is responsible for not preserving his father's legacy. The blame for failing to protect it lies on him. He overestimated himself and his party, assuming the public was loyal to the Thackeray family. He presumed that the people would align their views with the Thackerays' wishes. Such a mistake is usually made by those disconnected from the masses. Leaders who parted ways with Uddhav Thackeray claim that he was inaccessible, even to legislators and Members of Parliament. Let's explore how he dismantled the party that was built with his father's sweat and reputation.
1 - Straying from his father's ideology on Hindutva proved costly
Anyone who closely observed Indian politics in the 1990s knows that Balasaheb Thackeray was the country's singular Hindutva leader, bold enough to claim responsibility for the Babri Masjid demolition. Even before Babri, he had declared in a 1987 rally in Vile Parle, Mumbai, that they were contesting the elections for Hindu protection and didn't care for Muslim votes; this nation belongs to Hindus and always will. In this election, Shiv Sena candidate Ramesh Prabhu won, but in 1989, the Bombay High Court found both Bal Thackeray and Ramesh Prabhu guilty of incitement, nullifying the results. Ramesh Prabhu appealed to the Supreme Court which, in December 1995, upheld the High Court's decision, and Bal Thackeray was barred from voting until 2001.
Bal Thackeray was so staunch on Hindutva that not even the BJP of today matches his fervor. He once demanded revoking the voting rights of Muslims. In 2015, Shiv Sena reiterated this, with leader Sanjay Raut in Saamana claiming Muslims have no future as long as they are used as a vote bank, an idea initially proposed by Bal Thackeray. Uddhav Thackeray, while compromising on many fronts, retained his adherence to key principles of Hindutva. Important to note is how Ajit Pawar, an anti-Hindutva proponent, still garnered Hindu votes by aligning with the Mahayuti alliance. Uddhav Thackeray maintained a Hindutva stance on significant issues, yet failed to win Hindu support. For example, during discussions on the Waqf Board Bill in Parliament, Shiv Sena did not take a Congress-like stand, leading to a complaint to Uddhav at his residence by Muslim leaders. Similarly, for the recent assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) only fielded one Muslim candidate, while Ajit Pawar, with several, managed to secure Hindu votes. Uddhav never opposed changing districts named after Muslim rulers, a move initiated at the end of his own rule, leaving no room for controversy.
2 - Compromising on Savarkar vitiated his Maratha pride image
Shiv Sena's Hindutva once mirrored the nationalism of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. While the BJP is influenced by RSS's Hindutva, Shiv Sena was anchored by Savarkar's principles. Because Uddhav Thackeray became Chief Minister with Congress's backing, he never perceived disrespect towards Savarkar as his own dishonor. Rahul Gandhi continually disparaged Savarkar, while Uddhav stuck to coalition protocols. In these elections, PM Modi challenged Uddhav Thackeray to get a Congress leader to praise Savarkar or for Rahul Gandhi to commend Balasaheb as a Hindu heartthrob - a challenge that cornered Uddhav. People began viewing Shinde's faction as the real Shiv Sena, on account of Uddhav's concessions on Savarkar.
3 - Indecisive stance on the Palghar saints' murder
On April 16, 2020, two saints and their driver were lynched to death, a time when Uddhav Thackeray was Chief Minister, supported by Congress and NCP. This incident, falsely anchored in fears of child kidnapping, occurred in Palghar district's Gadchinchle village. When expectations were high for Uddhav's government to take decisive action, they simply reduced it to a police investigation rather than ordering a CBI probe as demanded by the opposition.
Post-separation from Uddhav, the Shinde faction strategically decided to approach the Supreme Court for a CBI investigation into the Palghar case. The Supreme Court, upon the Shinde government's affidavit, granted approval for such an investigation.
4 - Becoming a Congress adjunct
Balasaheb Thackeray established Shiv Sena in 1966 explicitly against the Congress. Witnessing Shiv Sena now frequently looking towards Congress on key issues is disheartening for both the common public and Balasaheb's legacy. Uddhav Thackeray left BJP to ally with Congress and NCP predominantly for the Chief Minister's seat, which was unacceptable to BJP. Historically, the party with more legislators would secure the Chief Minister post in a Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.
Hence, in 1995 Shiv Sena led, while in 2014, BJP took the reins. Uddhav Thackeray’s over-ambition not only distanced him from power but led to losing his party. While Balasaheb Thackeray was alive, influential leaders would visit Matoshree, including BJP leader Amit Shah. However, after joining hands with Congress, Uddhav began traveling to Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi. It was a time when the world’s biggest star, Michael Jackson, visited India and went straight to Matoshree. Uddhav's ties with the Gandhi family led to the decline of Matoshree’s prestige.
