Uddhav Thackeray-led party is real Shiv Sena: NCP
Mumbai, Oct 3: The Uddhav Thackeray group is the "real" Shiv Sena though the decision is pending with the Election Commission and two rallies are being organised on Dussehra day by rival factions, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said on Monday.
The Sharad Pawar-led party is of the view that the real Shiv Sena carries the ideas of the party founder the late Bal Thackeray, which is Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, said party spokesperson Mahesh Tapase.
"Two Dussehra rallies will be held this year. One is of tradition, loyalty, self-respect and ideas of Balasaheb (Thackeray) which means the one led by Uddhav Thackeray. Even though the decision on which is the real Shiv Sena is pending with the Election Commission, the real Shiv Sena is the one that has the ideas of Balasaheb (Thackeray) which means it is the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena," he said in a video statement.
In a setback for Thackeray, the Supreme Court last week allowed the EC to go ahead with hearing the Eknath Shinde group's plea seeking recognition as the real' Shiv Sena and allocation of the party's bow-and-arrow poll symbol to it.
The Thackeray-led faction is scheduled to hold a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, while the group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has booked the MMRDA grounds at the Bandra Kurla Complex for the October 5 congregation.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar and top leaders of the party have been backing the Thackeray-led faction since the split in Shiv Sena.
The Thackeray-led Sena is one of the three members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The MVA government collapsed in June this year following the rebellion by 39 MLAs of Shiv Sena led by Shinde.
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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.
