Sena Vs Sena: Dussehra face-off on slushy Shivaji Park, Azad Maidan

Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray launch Assembly election campaigns at Dussehra rallies today, addressing key issues and rallying support

Mumbai: Chief minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray are all set to kick off their respective campaigns for the forthcoming Assembly elections at the Dussehra rally today. In keeping with his family’s tradition, Thackeray will hold the annual rally at Shivaji Park, Dadar, while Shinde will address the gathering at Azad Maidan.

Mumbai, India – Oct 11, 2024: Preparation underway for Shiv Sena (UBT) Dussehra rally, at Shivaji Park, Dadar, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, Oct 11, 2024. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

As the grounds of both venues have remained slushy, thanks to Thursday’s heavy downpour, chairs have been arranged for people to sit on at Shivaji Park, while wooden planks are being laid at Azad Maidan for people to walk through and avoid soiling their shoes.

At Shivaji Park, Sena (UBT) office bearers are already putting up banners naming Uddhav Thackeray the ‘future CM’. There has been a kerfuffle between leaders of the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over picking a chief ministerial candidate in the recent past – Thackeray and his party have repeatedly expressed their demand to declare the CM’s face, but the two other allies, Congress and NCP (SP), had not set their minds to it.

At Shivaji Park today, Thackeray is expected to bring up this issue again in his speech and his party colleagues are expected to back him. Also on Thackeray’s agenda is to respond to Shinde and union home minister Amit Shah’s recent criticism about him. A few weeks ago, Shah had said the forthcoming elections will spell the end of Thackeray and accused him of exiting the Hindutva ideology, promoted by his father, late Bal Thackeray.