The big takeaway from Uddhav's Dussehra speech: Sena perceives BJP as huge political threat

Mumbai: What were the big takeaways from Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray’s Dussehra rally address at Shivaji Park on Thursday? While most of it was rhetoric aimed at keeping the audience interested, the real focus was on three points: one, the reaffirmation of the Hindutva focus of the party; two, positioning of the Shiv Sena as the only party of choice for the Marathi manoos; and three, bringing Dalits to the party’s fold. For the party, the immediate threat to all three segments of voters come from the BJP. So, it’s no surprise that Uddhav made it a point to single it out for attack. According to political experts, the Shiv Sena is under compulsion to prove itself more Hindu than the BJP. [caption id=“attachment_2480420” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. PTI[/caption] “It was a desperate attempt to retain his followers in troubled times. He is trying to show that he is more radical a Hindutva leader than those of the BJP. His demands of India should be declared as Hindu nation, Bharat Ratna award for Veer Savarkar and anti-Pakistan statements were an attempt to convey that impression,” said Surendra Jondhale, head of the Civics and Politics department at the Mumbai University. He said that since the Sena ministers are not getting due recognition from the BJP leadership, there is restlessness among the former. “There is also confusion among the leaders and cadre about the kind of role they should play. So, Uddhav has taken an ambiguous position. By saying that he would not quit the Maharashtra government, he seems to have agreed to accept the treatment meted out to his ministers by the BJP," he said, adding that uncomfortable and troubled relationship between the two parties is likely to continue till Mumbai civic body’s elections in 2017. Loss of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the richest civic body in the country, would be virtual death knell for the party which has not managed to expand its footprints across the state significantly in all these years. Prakash Bal, a political analyst, said that Uddhav’s speech at dussehra rally is just empty rhetoric. “He (Uddhav) was attempting to show that the Sena is toeing the hardline Hindutva ideology better than the BJP. It was an attempt to keep his cadres happy. His attack on BJP was symbolic one because he was trying to balance the two factions in Sena. While one faction wants Uddhav to take on the BJP, the other faction wants to go soft,” said Bal. He added that the crowd collection at the rally was good but it has been so since Balasaheb’s days. “But, turning the crowd into votes is difficult. BJP won’t tolerate him at the time of BMC elections in 2017,” he said, adding that the Sena is weak at the state level. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday struck an uncharacteristically aggressive posture against the BJP, his party’s coalition partner in Maharashtra. He hit out at the BJP, while addressing party workers at the Dussehra rally, on wide range of issues including Dadri incident, price rise, Ram Mandir and General VK Singh’s controversial remark on Dalits. He also expressed no regret over the cancellation of the Ghulam Ali concert in the city and the ink attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni. He also demanded that the India should be declared as Hindu nation and Veer Sawarkar should be given Bharat Ratna award.