No let-up in the war of two Senas

The war of words between the top leaderships of the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is making ‘blood’ and ‘water’ boil. But at the grassroots, both parties are showing signs of unity.

The Thackeray cousins — Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav and MNS chief Raj — are still going hammer and tongs at each other. But the clamour for Sena-MNS unity is getting louder at the lower rungs. In fact, the MNS workers in Ambarnath united with their Sena counterparts on Monday to get the latter’s candidate elected as mayor.

Senior Sena leader Subhash Desai said, “It is true that the Shiv Sena and the MNS came together for the Ambarnath polls. However, I cannot comment on the future of such a tie-up. The MNS will have to answer why it targeted the Sena on a social cause like blood donation. Such noble issues have been an integral part of the Sena since its birth. While forming the Sena in 1966, Bal Thackeray said that the organisation will do 80% social work and 20% politics.”

Both the Congress and the BJP are closely monitoring the developments within the Sena and the MNS at the grass roots. However, with the top leadership of the parties still very much at war, there seems to be no chance of a truce between the two Senas before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections in 2012.

Barely 24 hours after the Sena-MNS show of unity in Ambarnath, senior Sena leader Ramdas Kadam blasted Raj and his MNS on Tuesday. “We do not need to take lessons in social work from the MNS. We know their culture very well. In the morning, they promote food culture, and in the night, drinking culture,” he said.

“Raj Thackeray started the ugly verbal duel by making adverse comments against the Sena’s blood donation drive. Had he kept to his own business, we would not have taken note of him and his MNS.”

The war began on Sunday, when Raj said at a function in Navi Mumbai, “Instead of extracting people’s blood, it is better to provide them with water.” The MNS chief did not mention the Sena or Uddhav, but his comment clearly implied that the Sena should revert to developmental work to help people instead of indulging in symbolic exercises like distribution of schoolbooks and blood donation drive.

A senior BJP leader said, “After the 2009 assembly elections, the Congress and the MNS have parted company. Raj will have to choose his enemy first before facing the electoral battle. If he finds the Congress to be his No1 enemy, his next move would be to work in tandem with the Sena to beat the common enemy.”

A source said that a section within the BJP is also thinking of entering a covert deal with the MNS for the BMC polls. No doubt, the Congress and the NCP too are watching closely.