Mumbai: First time after the split of Shiv Sena last year, the Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray-led factions would be celebrating the party’s foundation day at separate events in Mumbai today.
The day is likely to witness both factions trying to project themselves as the “true inheritor” of party founder late Bal Thackeray’s legacy ahead of the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections.
While Shinde-led Shiv Sena will organise its event in Goregaon in northwest Mumbai, the Shiv Sena (UBT) will hold its event at Sion in central Mumbai.
In June last year, Eknath Shinde – then a minister at Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government – rebelled against his boss and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government of the Sena, NCP and Congress with the support of 39 party MLAs.
Mr Shinde then became chief minister with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as his Deputy and the Election Commission of India subsequently granted his faction the original party name and ‘bow and arrow’ symbol. The Thackeray group was named Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).