Shiv Sena foundation day: Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray to address rallies at separate events

Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. File Pic

The Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray-led factions of the Shiv Sena will celebrate the party's foundation day at separate events in Mumbai on Monday, reported news agency PTI.

Bal Thackeray, a political cartoonist, founded the Shiv Sena on June 19, 1966, and made the pride of 'Marathi manoos' (Marathi speakers in Mumbai) the core plank of its politics.

Both the factions have now been trying to claim the mantle of the 'true inheritor' of party founder late Bal Thackeray's legacy ahead of the next year's Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections as well as the long-due civic polls in Mumbai.

The Shiv Sena split in June last year after Shinde and 39 other party MLAs rebelled against then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government of the Sena, NCP and Congress.

Shinde then became chief minister with the BJP's support and the Election Commission of India subsequently granted his faction the original party name and 'bow and arrow' symbol while the Thackeray group was named Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).

While the Shinde-led Shiv Sena will hold its event at the NESCO ground in Goregaon in northwest Mumbai on Monday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) will celebrate the foundation day at Shanmukhanand Hall at Sion in central Mumbai.

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of chief minister Eknath Shinde, last week said party workers from across the state will gather for the event.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has asserted that the Uddhav Thackeray-led group is the real Shiv Sena.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Manisha Kayande on Sunday joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde alleging that Uddhav Thackeray is inaccessible for receiving feedback on the party affairs. She also claimed money is sought from women in the Thackeray faction.

Kayande's cross-over comes on the eve of the foundation day of Shiv Sena and it is a second jolt to the Thackeray-led faction in two days.

A day earlier, senior leader Shishir Shinde resigned from the party.

Speaking at the function after joining Shiv Sena in neighbouring Thane, Kayande claimed she waited for a year to see if the Thackeray-led faction would introspect over why party workers were leaving Shiv Sena (UBT). Kayande was made secretary of Shiv Sena and also its spokesperson.

(With inputs from PTI)