Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addresses a press conference at Varsha Bungalow in Mumbai on November 23, 2024. | Photo Credit: ANI

Eknath Shinde emerges as the true heir to Bal Thackeray’s legacy

Since Mr. Shinde’s rebellion against his party chief and mentor Uddhav Thackeray in mid-2022, the battle for the Shiv Sena’s identity and its founder’s ideological mantle has dominated political discourse in Maharashtra

by · The Hindu

The Maharashtra Assembly election results on Saturday (November 23, 2024) have provided a definitive answer to two questions that have dominated State politics for over two years — who represents the ‘real’ Shiv Sena as the rightful inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s legacy, and who holds the mantle of the ‘real NCP (Nationalist Congress Party)’. With Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction and Ajit Pawar’s camp securing a resounding mandate and a clear majority, the verdict from voters appears unequivocal.

Since Mr. Shinde’s rebellion against his party chief and mentor Uddhav Thackeray in mid-2022, the battle for the Shiv Sena’s identity and its founder’s ideological mantle has dominated political discourse in Maharashtra.

Mr. Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), positioned itself as the custodian of Bal Thackeray’s values, labelling Mr. Shinde and the leaders of his faction as “gaddars” (traitors), a key issue on which they fought this election. In contrast, Mr. Shinde’s faction claimed to represent the grassroots Shiv Sainiks, arguing that Mr. Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to align with the Congress and erstwhile NCP in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had diluted the party’s original Hindutva ethos, in addition to claiming that they were the real “inheritors” of Bal Thackeray’s ideology and the party.

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“I don’t want to get into the ‘real’ and ‘fake’ debate. However, people gave a mandate to the Shiv Sena which inherited the ideology of Balasaheb… Shiv Sena is an ally of the BJP and has the same ideology. I can’t stop them from talking, but people gave the mandate,” Mr. Shinde said on Saturday (November 23, 2024).

This election also established which the “real NCP” is, and who dominates western Maharashtra, the sugar belt, and the hub of cooperatives, namely dairy, education and banking. After Mr. Ajit Pawar’s rebellion, his uncle, the NCP patriarch, Mr. Sharad Pawar, lamented what he called the erosion of ideological commitment in State politics, but his faction managed to win significantly less than the other faction, proving that his nephew had taken control of the sugar belt and other pockets across the State. “This result came as a shock to us. We never thought Ajit would get so many seats,” a senior NCP leader said.

Resounding mandate

Mr. Shinde’s victory is not just a political triumph, it is a reclamation of Bal Thackeray’s legacy, says leaders and observers. Riding on a wave of support from both rural and urban voters, the Shiv Sena, in alliance with the BJP and NCP, managed to consolidate its position across the State.

“This result clearly indicates that voters see Eknath Shinde as the torchbearer of Bal Thackeray’s legacy. His focus on grassroots connections and Hindutva politics resonated with the electorate, especially in regions where traditional Shiv Sena supporters felt alienated by Uddhav Thackeray’s shift towards a more centrist, secular approach,” Sena’s MLC Manisha Kayande told The Hindu. She said that Mr. Shinde had “released” the Shiv Sena’s “bow and arrow” from the clutches of the Congress.

The split in the Shiv Sena was one of the most dramatic political developments in Maharashtra in recent years. When Mr. Shinde rebelled against Mr. Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, and toppled his MVA government, it was not just a question of numbers but of ideology and authenticity, the Shinde faction leaders say.

The Election Commission’s subsequent decision to allot the Shiv Sena’s name and bow-and-arrow symbol to Mr. Shinde’s faction added legitimacy to his claim, they said.

Despite this, the elections were seen as a litmus test for both factions. For Mr. Shinde, it was an opportunity to consolidate his position as the rightful heir to Bal Thackeray’s legacy. For former Chief Minister Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, it was a chance to prove that his vision of a more inclusive Shiv Sena could find traction among voters, but in vain.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has been reduced to a significantly smaller presence in the Assembly. This is likely to force the faction to introspect on its strategy and positioning. Critics argue that the MVA alliance alienated a significant section of traditional Shiv Sena voters who could not reconcile with the party’s collaboration with ideological rivals, including the Congress and the NCP. The leaders, including those from Shiv Sena (UBT), also questioned the inaccessibility of Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, and his son and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

For Mr. Shinde and Mr. Ajit Pawar, the victory comes with its own set of challenges with the BJP as the single largest party in the State. “We need to wait and see who is going to be the Chief Minister and which party will get how many portfolios in the Cabinet. However, this election has an electorally positive impact on the Shiv Sena and NCP. For many voters, Mr. Shinde now embodies the political and ideological legacy of Bal Thackeray —a legacy that remains deeply etched in Maharashtra’s political landscape,” a senior journalist said, requesting anonymity.

Published - November 23, 2024 09:28 pm IST