Uddhav Thackeray set to go on Maha tour soon

Mumbai: Shiv Sena President and former Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, is planning to undertake a whirlwind tour of Maharashtra to meet party workers, and visit units across the state soon, said party sources on Saturday.

Over the next few days, Thackeray will tour several districts to rebuild the party from the ground up after the recent split within its ranks. “The exact dates and his itinerary are still being worked out at the moment but, he will hit the streets as he showed on Friday (referring to Thackeray’s visit to Sena’s Byculla branch),” said a Sena leader.

Uddhav’s son and former state Environment Minister, Aaditya Thackeray, is also expected to travel with him.

The former CM—who was repeatedly accused of running the government without visiting the Mantralaya (state secretariat)—attempted to seemingly overturn that assessment by paying a visit to the Sena’s shakha number 208 in Byculla on Friday, after two party activists were attacked by unidentified people. Thackeray not only mingled with party workers, but also slammed local police for not being able to protect Sena workers. 

“If you are not able to protect our workers, then tell us. Shiv sainiks will protect them. You do not meddle in politics, we will handle that,” he told local police officials sternly. He also asked them to record the statements of suspects pointed out by the workers who were attacked. 

The vertical split in the Shiv Sena has left the Uddhav camp with just 15 MLAs while 41 MLAs have joined the Eknath Shinde’s group of rebels. The split has also substantially cost the faction its strength of elected councillors in most of the municipal corporations in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).  

It is also playing out in rural regions of Maharashtra and will have an impact on the rural and semi-urban local bodies which are scheduled to go to polls later this month. 

With Eknath Shinde positioning himself as the ‘real’ Sena by owing allegiance to party founder Balasaheb Thackeray and Thane leader Anand Dighe’s brand of strident Hindutva, Uddhav Thackeray has a tough few months ahead to keep his flock together and win elections.