The ordeal of being Uddhav Thackeray

He inherited a mighty organisation, a source of immense power and of adulation and total submission and more. His father was at once one of the most revered men in Maharashtra and also one of the most  feared ones. Surely, a legacy hard to carry forward.

He tried to bandy that authority as best as he could. Said (and the Marathi media echoed in chorus) that it was a set (and therefore inviolable) custom that any national level dignitary from the alliance visiting Mumbai, visits his abode. And that it would be a sacrilege to not follow the custom. Alas, they saw through the charade. It was his father the Tiger with a capital T, whom they went to pay obeisance. The shrine lost its sheen when the Tiger was no more.

Times have changed and how. His father called himself ‘Hinduhriday Samrat’ – the emperor of Hindu hearts – and loudly declared that he was proud of those of his followers who were accused of razing Babri Mosque. But this title was usurped by someone who is even more proactive and carries the accusation of presiding over the worst ever pogrom since partition against the Muslims. And the Lok Sabha election officially anointed him as the ruler for the next five years. So, poor Uddhav could not dispute his claim to the title once held by his father.

His father rarely stepped out of his den. And yet he had a way to the hearts of his followers. He could understand their fears and pains and in his words and actions they found a perfect response. They reposed a great faith in him and no matter how many political twists and turns he took; they did not feel let down. That is not something that can be inherited and Uddhav does not enjoy that kind of a rapport.  So, he does something his father never did but every other politician does: he tours. He holds meetings.

He consults his lieutenants. He does it all without rancour or regret; however I do think he does not enjoy the bluster he has to exhibit from time to time just to prove that he is his father’s son.

Then again, his father made fun of BJP; called it Kamalabai, a term one would fondly and condescendingly use for one’s consort. And BJP bore the affectionate insult with a patience befitting a crocodile. Now the tables have turned and BJP is by far the senior partner, headed by two unpretentious strongmen. But arrogance was one of the defining traits of the supreme leader of Shiv Sena and the appetite for the old arrogance still lingers among the followers.

So, what should Uddhav do? He cannot afford to appear submissive and he absolutely cannot be haughty towards BJP leadership. Quite a predicament.

When he took over as the working president of Shiv Sena, Uddhav tried to bring changes in the organization, tried to make it more streamlined in its functioning, tried to give it an urbane image. The changes were rejected by the masses who voted for Shiv Sena and he was compelled to revert to the olden rough, coarse ways. In a way, Uddhav had read the winds of change and wanted to prepare for the future. And in hindsight, it seems had Shiv Sena setup been changed as he wanted, perhaps today it would have been easier to adapt. Survival would not seem so bleak.

Yes, Shiv Sena as an organization is facing the worst crisis of its fairly long life. True, it has won handsomely in the last Lok Sabha elections but everybody, including Uddhav, knows that it was Modi magic that moved the voters. Even BJP and RSS stalwarts are aware that it was Modi’s election and that is why their entire campaign revolved round the persona of Modi. So, Uddhav owes Shiv Sena success in parliamentary election to Modi.

Now the question is, should he have returned the favour and conceded more seats that BJP demanded in the Maharashtra Assembly election? Had he done so, surely he would have been rewarded with more and better portfolios in the Union cabinet. The fact that he didn't, goes to show that Uddhav must have realised that the junior partner recently grown very large nationally, was a real and present danger to the very existence of Shiv Sena.

Is there any reason why Shiv Sena should continue to exist now that we have a strong and proactive 'Hinduhriday Samrat' sitting on the throne in Delhi? The political right is all praise for him. The left is marginalised. The Congress seems to lack the energy to rise and fight him . The industry is eating out of his hands. He appears to have complete control over the bureaucracy. The media has lost its appetite for Modi baiting. On the other hand, Shiv Sena has more or less been confined to the borders of Maharashtra and even Balasaheb never ever dreamt of commanding the kind of power Modi holds and exercises through his able deputy, Amit Shah. Surely, Modi can deliver everything that Uddhav has to wish for. So, why have Uddhav amidst us at all?

BJP seems to sense it. They keep chanting that Shiv Sena is their ally and they do want to have Shiv Sena with them. Quite. But then they do not seem to make any concrete, honorable offers to the Sena. Even face-saving ones. Even when theirs is a minority government. Are they so sure of NCP's outside support?

Has there been a deal with Sharad Pawar?

Think of yet another possibility. It is amply clear that, to gain an upper hand in the Assembly, BJP is not averse to inducting defectors, even from the Congress and the NCP. Shiv Sena is certainly a better bet as a source of defectors, since there is convergence of Hindutva ideology. I shall not be surprised if Shiv Sena legislative party has a major split and a section goes to BJP. They are all careerists there in the business of politics; who among them does not love power? 

So, what does Uddhav do? If he ups his ante and talks tough, they keep him out and try to divide his flock. If he goes soft, they torture him into submission. It is lose-lose situation.

That is the ordeal of being Uddhav Thackeray.

However, that does not mean that Shiv Sena has become irrelevant. Despite its brashness Shiv Sena has hardly taken concrete, substantial action to help needy Mahashtrians and yes, there are quite a lot of needy Mahashtrians. It has always been a politics of emotion. But, it certainly has acted as a deterrent to any attempt to harm their interests. The so called Marathi Manoos loves to imagine that he is a courageous warrior and everybody fears him. Shiv Sena too swears by the name of the great Maratha warrior king, Shivaji. Yet Marathi people have been on a steady decline since Shiv Sena became a force in

How about today? Devendra Fadnavis appears to be an honest man, with sincere intent but it is not yet clear if he is his own master. Further, he has always wanted a separate Vidarbha. So, will he be as alert to protecting the interests of other regions, which, according to him, have been giving Vidarbha a raw deal all along? That is why Maharashtra needs Shiv Sena to exist. To act as a deterrent against any designs not very favourable to its people. And so Uddhav has to be there.

And all is not lost for the Sena. Most of the votes that BJP candidates got, were votes against Congress and / or votes for Modi. These votes may swing away if the circumstances change. But the votes which Shiv Sena got, were all loyalist votes. Votes which want the Sena to be there. They want the Sena to count. To act. But, in the long run, they too will swing away if the voters are disillusioned with Sena.

Sena is not a democratic setup. Despite his consultations, it is Uddhav Thackeray who has to take the final call. The ordeal of being Uddhav Thackeray is indeed quite grim.