Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday asserted that the party’s annual Dussehra rally will be held at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai.
Thackeray’s remarks came against the backdrop of his faction not yet getting a nod from the Mumbai civic body for the rally, a decades old political event held by the Sena in the sprawling Shivaji Park and synonymous with the fiery speeches of party founder late Bal Thackeray.
This will be the first Dussehra rally of the Shiv Sena after the split in the party in June this year. The revolt by a group of Sena legislators had led to the collapse of the Thackeray-led government.
On Saturday, Uddhav Thackeray’s son and former state minister Aaditya Thackeray said authorities were not accepting an application from the Shiv Sena to hold its annual Dussehra rally.
Dussehra will be celebrated on October 5 this year.
Talking to reporters on Monday, Uddhav Thackeray said Shiv Sainaiks have begun preparation to come to the Shivaji Park from different parts of the state. “The Shiv Sena’s annual congregation will take place at Shivtirth (the term Sena uses for Shivaji Park),” the former Maharashtra chief minister said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was controlled by the Shiv Sena from 1997 till March this year when the tenure of corporators ended and polls could not take place.
The civic body is currently governed by an administrator. After the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in June, rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister and BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as deputy CM. On Saturday, Aaditya Thackeray said, ”The Shiv Sena is seeking permission for holding its annual Dussehra rally in Mumbai but authorities are not accepting our application. This (Eknath Shinde dispensation) is a repressive government.”
