Shiv Sena lacks zeal on foundation day eve

The usual festive mood in the Shiv Sena on the eve of its 44th foundation day on Saturday is missing. The party workers don’t seem to have got out of the shock of their defeat in the recent legislative council election. 

Many of these workers feel that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) newly-found proximity with the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party is the reason for this outcome. Sena’s Anil Parab had to face defeat due to poor management of votes.

“The MNS has only one goal — eliminate Sena from the political scene. I don’t think they can achieve this. But if the MNS’ proximity with Congress continues, then it will harm our prospects in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election,” said a worker from Parel. 

Every year three occasions mean a lot for the Sena workers — party chief Bal Thackeray’s birthday (January 23), the foundation day (June 19) and the annual Dussera rally at Shivaji Park. The workers organise various programmes to celebrate these occasions. The programmes are there this time too, but without the usual fervour.

The Sena has not made it clear yet whether its patriarch Bal Thackeray would attend the function to mark the party’s foundation day. Thackeray has made a few public appearances in the recent past to pep up the morale of sainiks.  

The workers feel that their leaders could not exploit the “opportunity” to expose the MNS-Congress nexus after MNS chief Raj Thackeray openly admitted that his party MLAs voted for Congress-NCP to get the suspension of four MNS MLAs revoked.

Though Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray lashed out against his estranged cousin, he did not get support from his second-layer leaders. Uddhav countered Raj’s dig that the Sena was suffering from jaundice and it sees yellow everywhere by saying: “I just checked with the doctor whether I was sick. He certified that I am alright. No one can make Sena sick,” said Uddhav. But Uddhav’s counter attack could not charge up the sainiks.