By Vinod Raghavan*
Uddhav-Raj Comeback Fires Marathi Fight for BMC
Mumbai: The Marathi Manoos of Mumbai is in an upbeat mood, as estranged Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, came together after 19 years, sharing the dais today, in a spirited throng pulsating with Marathi pride at the jam-packed Worli Dome indoor auditorium.
The crowd, a lively blend of young firebrands and seasoned supporters donning saffron scarves and traditional Marathi caps, erupted in cheers as the cousins sarcastically thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)for uniting them, a feat no other leader, not even Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, could achieve.
The “Vijay Rally” celebrated a hard-won victory for Marathi identity, sparked by the state government’s quiet withdrawal of a Government Resolution (GR) mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language in primary schools, which had fired up the masses.
The Fadnavis government, facing a storm of protests from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Uddhav’s Shiv Sena, left parties like the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party – Marxixt (CPM), Peasants and Workers Party, and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who threatened a huge public rally, withdrew the GR to quell the unrest.
The Thackerays seized the moment, announcing the “Vijay Rally” as a triumph for Marathi Manoos and a public get-together on July 5, signalling a united front for the stalled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The rally’s energy, with supporters chanting for Marathi Asmita, hinted at a fierce battle for the richest civic body.
This moment harks back to 1985, when Congress Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil, irked by the Delhi government’s high-handedness, skillfully supported Bal Thackeray on the Marathi Asmita issue by planting a rumour that Mumbai would be made a Union Territory. The news spread like wildfire, propelling Shiv Sena to sweep the BMC polls, securing control of India’s richest corporation ever since. Yet, the BJP, a shrewd ally, enjoyed the fruits of the BMC, with its nominees holding posts like Deputy Mayor and chairmanships of Health, Education, Garden, and Market committees, alongside its major partner, Shiv Sena.
The 2022 Sena split, with Eknath Shinde’s faction aligning with the BJP, left the BMC’s fate hanging, as elections due in March 2022 remain stalled for over three years, along with other civic bodies’ polls. In the Atal Behari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, and Pramod Mahajan era, BJP leaders openly called Shiv Sena the “Big Brother” in Maharashtra, with BJP as the “Younger Brother” in the state and “Elder Brother” at the Centre. But equations changed after Narendra Modi’s landslide victory in 2014, his centralised style with Amit Shah reminiscent of Indira Gandhi’s era, sidelining state leaders. This enraged state Congress leaders, who indirectly supported Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, ensuring Congress never ruled the BMC.
Tensions over Marathi versus non-Marathi identity flared during the recent Lok Sabha polls, with Raj supporting Modi but not the BJP, which gained leverage among non-Marathis, especially in Mumbai. Housing societies began targeting Marathi-speaking residents over their non-vegetarian eating habits, as Gujarati and Rajasthani vegetarian-dominated societies openly refused houses to Maharashtrians. In Thane, a Marathi TV actor was humiliated in front of his wife and child over his purchasing capacity, sparking outrage. Mumbai’s demographic has changed, with land prices skyrocketing like Mumbai’s skyscrapers, forcing Marathis from strongholds like Girgaon, Lalbaug, Parel, and Currey Road to sell homes, often to Gujarati and Marwari traders and businessmen.
In the last BMC elections held in 2017, the unified Shiv Sena fielded 227 candidates, securing 84 corporators with 28 per cent of the vote share. Raj Thackeray’s MNS contested 201 seats, winning 7 corporators with 8 per cent of votes. The BJP, contesting 209 seats, clinched 82 corporators with 27 per cent of the vote share. Congress fielded 224 candidates but managed only 31 corporators with 16 per cent of the votes, while Sharad Pawar’s NCP secured 9 corporators from 170 candidates with 5 per cent of the vote share.
Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was hurt by social media memes targeting Modi for using a translator during a recent foreign visit, warning that people would soon forget English, further fueling the Marathi versus non-Marathi divide. The Thackerays’ reunion at the “Vijay Rally” sets the stage for a high-stakes BMC battle, with Marathi pride at its core.
*Senior journalist
