Ready to facilitate rapprochement between two Senas, but hearts must meet first: Sena Min. Shirsat
Mumbai, Feb 1 (PTI): Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat on Saturday said he was ready to facilitate reconciliation between his party and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) but “hearts must first”.
In an interview with a Marathi channel, Shirsat said he is pained by the split in the Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena, which is now headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Shirsat, who is also the Shiv Sena spokesperson, said even today he and many of his party colleagues share cordial ties with the Sena (UBT) leaders.
Asked if he was ready to facilitate any efforts towards rapprochement if he gets an opportunity, Shirsat said, “I will do it, but hearts need to meet first.”
The leaders of the two parties still meet each other warmly, he said.
“But the distance has become such that if it’s not bridged now, it will be difficult to mend ties later,” Shirsat said.
When asked whether Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray was in a position to facilitate a patch-up, Shirsat said the youth leader, who is in his 30s, was not in a position to do so because of his age.
“We can forgive each other’s mistakes. If you think you can come together by insulting each other then that's not possible,” Shirsat said referring to attacks by the leaders of Shiv Sena UBT.
The original Shiv Sena, then under Uddhav Thackeray, split in June 2022 after Shinde led a rebellion in the party, walked away with his supporters and aligned with the BJP to become Maharashtra CM. Subsequently, he got the party name and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol.
Since the division, the two Sena factions have relentlessly attacked each other.
In the assembly elections last year, the Shinde Sena, a partner in the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, won 57 of the state’s 288 seats. By contrast, the Sena (UBT), which has aligned with the Congress and NCP (SP) under the Maha Vikas Aghadi, bagged only 20. Altogether, Mahayuti won 230 seats, while MVA got just 46.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
