Mumbai: Brace for Sena v Sena show of strength on Dussehra

As the Uddhav and Shinde camps of the Shiv Sena work feverishly for their show of strength on Dussehra, functionaries from both sides have been given targets to mobilise crowds. While the Thackeray group is depending on shakha and zilla pramukhs to get more people, the rival camp is banking on its MLAs and MPs to fill its BKC rally venue. Forty of the 56 Sena MLAs and 12 of 19 MPs are with the group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

On October 5, the Uddhav camp will hold its Dussehra rally at the iconic Shivaji Park, which it got after moving the Bombay High Court. The Shinde Sena will be holding its rally at a ground at Bandra Kurla Complex.

Shivaji Park, the venue of Uddhav Sena's October 5 Dussehra rally, on Friday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Except for Thane district office-bearers, other Sena district functionaries are still with Thackeray. Sources said each of the shakha pramukhs in Mumbai has been told to bring along at least 150 people to Shivaji Park, while their peers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have been given the target of assembling 50-100 people. "This time the leaders are also planning to bring party workers from Pune, Nashik, and another district. The zilla pramukhs have been entrusted with the job," said a source.

"The Dussehra rally is a festival for us. Activists come from all over Maharashtra. They will come this year also. For this, planning is done at the local level every year, but no one is forced or lured to attend the rally," said Kishori Pednekar, the spokesperson of the Thackeray camp.

Each of the MLAs and MPs with the Shinde camp has been told to come with at least 2,000 to 3,000 people, said sources. Shital Mhatre, their spokesperson, said, "Our planning is underway. It will be the biggest rally ever. Citizens of Mumbai will not suffer due to crowd and traffic. That will also be taken care of."

All in the family

The Shinde Sena may have accused the Thackeray family of dynastic politics, it has chosen to dole out important posts in its youth wing to the kin of ministers, MLAs and senior leaders.

The faction announced its youth wing state executive except for the state president on Friday. Earlier, it had announced the senior state and national executive but kept the party president's post, occupied by Uddhav Thackeray, untouched.

Going by their second names, the kin of minister Dada Bhuse, former minister Arjun Khotkar, MLAs Sada Sarvankar, Prakash Surve and Bharat Gogawale appear to have been inducted.