Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mocked Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for "handing over the remote control" of the party to the Congress as he took poll battle to Mumbai with less than a week left for voting in Maharashtra.
The Shiv Sena leader said dirty politics is being played following the death of the Bollywood actor and without naming anyone, added that the allegation being levelled is political stomach-ache stemming from frustration.
A product of the 1942 Quit India movement, a Gandhian and a Socialist who remains closely connected with grassroot movements, Dr G G Parikh remains a familiar figure in Maharashtra.
Despite belonging to a political dynasty of sorts, Aaditya Thackeray is the first in his family to contest an election.
"When BJP was untouchable in politics, Balasaheb Thackeray stood by that party," Uddhav said.
The advertisement carries Sena's bow-and-arrow symbol and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Shinde. It has no image or photo of Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, a noticeable departure going by its earlier publicity materials.
In a major setback to party founder Sharad Pawar, the Election Commission of India also allotted the NCP symbol 'Wall Clock' to the group led by Ajit Pawar.
Shinde and a few MLAs of the ruling Shiv Sena have gone incommunicado and are camping in Surat.
Incidentally, after the rebellion in June last year led to Shinde becoming chief minister, one of the reasons they gave for breaking away from Uddhav Thackeray was the dominance of the NCP in the Maha Vikas Agahdi government.
He also said that all political parties need to ask the poll watchdog the definition of a political party.
'Balasaheb Thackeray was a man who could control governments, despite not being in power. On the other hand, his son couldn't even control his party'
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called on Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray to offer condolences on passing away of his father and Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.
Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray has said that he will not take over the position of "Shiv Sena pramukh" (supremo) which will always belong to his late father Bal Thackeray.
Vaijapur MLA Ramesh Bornare said Shivsainiks are happy with Shinde becoming the chief minister.
This is probably for the first time that the two former party colleagues-turned-opponents shared the stage after Rane's exit from the Shiv Sena, of which Thackeray is the president.
The two rival Senas took over each other a day after the party's 57th foundation day celebrations which saw Thackeray and Shinde holding separate events in Mumbai and trading charges.
Thackeray had addressed the audience as his deshbhakt and deshpremi brothers and sisters" instead of the traditional invocation of "Hindu brothers and sisters" at the Shivaji Park gathering in Mumbai.
All eyes are now on the Sena factions, led by CM Shinde, backed by the BJP, and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, and their performance in the coastal belt in the November 20 polls.
Showing that he was in full control of the party, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that dissidents were free to leave; while senior party leader Manohar Joshi, who had criticised his leadership style recently, apologised.
The Sena witnessed the first major jolt in 1991 when Chhagan Bhujbal, the Other Backward Class face of the party who was also credited with expanding the organisation's base in rural parts of Maharashtra, decided to leave the party.
People are standing with the Shiv Sena and not these traitors, Aaditya claimed.
The PM said the Congress and its allies should not encourage the "Pakistan agenda" and speak the language of separatists.
He said Shinde has already made it clear his faction is not interested in staking claim to the Shiv Sena Bhavan or any property linked to the Thackeray group.
Security at the famous Saibaba shrine in Shirdi has been beefed up after the temple authorities received a letter threatening to trigger a blast on November 9 as also the Thackeray residence in Mumbai, police said on Wednesday.
Mumbaikars can finally heave a sigh of relief. They will be able to celebrate this Valentine's Day in peace, as both Bal Thackeray and his nephew are busy campaigning for the crucial elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The Shiv Sena, led by Bal Thackeray, and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, led by Raj Thackeray, have in the past been infamous for coming down heavily against young couples celebrating Valentine's Day, which they think is a Western concept.
After Bal Thackeray, what consumes most political observers is his immediate political legacy. What is happening in Maharashtra is hardly unique to the state -- indeed, with regional parties increasingly becoming family businesses, such feuds are likely across the country, says Rohit Pradhan.
'The impression that Uddhav saheb is naram (soft or not-so-aggressive), anukool (congenial), manmilau (amiable) is true.' 'But he is Balasaheb's son. So, aggression comes naturally to him.'
The Shiv Sena split into the Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde factions last year, after which the former filed petitions with the Speaker seeking disqualification of several MLAs belonging to the chief minister's camp.
As Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is set to take oath as chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday, preparations are in full swing at Shivaji Park in Dadar in central Mumbai.
Sharad Pawar in Amravati said, "Today, we are a part of Maha Vikas Aghadi, and we are willing to work together. But the desire alone is not always enough. The allotment of seats, whether there are any problems or not, has not been discussed yet. So how can I tell you about this?"
Raut and Thackeray are known to share a close bond.
Without naming his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday launched a scathing attack on him, stating that it must be found out who betrayed the people's mandate, Bal Thackeray's ideology and an ally of 25 years.
The 60-year-old actor drove to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's residence in Mumbai and sought his blessings.
In a veiled attack on MNS president and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray, the chief minister said he does not pay attention to 'new players' of Hindutva.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde on Monday criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's statement that Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray would lose his clout after the February 16 civic polls in the state saying he was "living in fool's paradise".
The main accused Barjinder Singh Parwana was among the six more people arrested in connection with the clashes in Patiala that had left four people injured, the Punjab Police said on Sunday.
Sharpening attack on erstwhile ally Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena on Sunday accused it of backstabbing late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray by snapping ties with his party over seat sharing in Maharashtra assembly polls.
Once an auto-rickshaw driver in Thane city adjoining Mumbai, Shinde (58) quickly emerged as a key Sena leader in the Thane-Palghar region after joining politics and is known for aggressive approach towards issues of public interest.
He asserted that his faction's event on October 5, to be held at the MMRDA ground in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), a business district in suburban Mumbai, will be a success as lakhs of people are expected to attend the rally.
The Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thackeray on Friday set to rest speculations that his son and party executive president Uddhav Thackeray had met the Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar to discuss a possible alliance in Maharashtra between the parties.
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