Jumping ship or taking the political plunge, Sena’s recent inductees set tongues wagging
Pervez Cooper (third from right) along with Sainiks and supporters
Two recent political appointments, both people joining the Shiv Sena, have raised eyebrows. Some are surprised, many amused and some others skeptical. Though both say that the overarching sentiment has been complimentary. Krishna Hegde, former MLA from Vile Parle and BJP vice-president (Mumbai unit), jumped political ship to the Sena on February 5. Hegde was earlier with the Congress, so in a way he has come back to the fold, given that Sena and Congress are allies in the state government.
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Krishna Hegde joins the Shiv Sena
Political family
Hegde said, “I was extremely impressed with the way Uddhav Thackeray handled the Coronavirus pandemic in the state. With Maharashtra as a magnet for outsiders, it has certainly not been an easy state, and he has led with dignity.”
Hegde was with the Congress since the early 1980s and his father was with the party for 40 years. “I remember campaigning in open jeeps, making election cards, flyers, we were a Congress family.” In 2017, Hegde had joined the BJP. “I do not think the public is skeptical or can accuse every politician of putting opportunity before ideology,” he said in response to a question. “I never asked for any post in the Sena. I have joined as an ordinary Shiv Sainik. A few cynical people aside, I have amassed so many likes and congratulations on Facebook and Twitter.”
When asked about the common man’s perception of large-scale amusement tinged with some disgust at the fact that one day a politician badmouths a particular party, and the next day he joins it, Hegde responded, “I have never badmouthed any party. I did not do so when I left the Congress. I also do not want to say anything against the BJP. I joined the party, so I have to blame myself if it was a mistake. My work speaks and Parlekars have seen my grassroots contribution and involvement in every big-ticket project in the suburbs.”
The debut
The Shiv Sena recently also got a South Mumbai Parsi face. Colaba’s Pervez Cooper, 61, an activist who earned the epithet of Super Cooper in SoBo because he took up Colaba-specific problems, joined the Shiv Sena on February 6. Cooper said, “Through my work in Colaba I realised that Shiv Sainiks were the most accessible of all political representatives, and I decided to join the party. I realised that you need to be with an organisation or party to make a difference and I took the plunge after much deliberation and consultation with my family.”
When asked if the Sena was perceived in a certain way by the Parsi community, Cooper brushed it aside and stressed, “I want to take up community-specific issues and also induct at least 50 Parsis into the party, which will help in breaking stereotypes. I have been inspired by the late Balasaheb Thackeray.”
Unlike Hegde, a dyed-in-the-wool politician, Cooper is a first-timer. When told that so many well-meaning citizens have joined politics wanting to make a difference but dropped out rapidly, unable to take the heat and dust of it, Cooper said, “I am here for the long haul. I am also a loyalist, so I intend to stick with the party. I am my own person never mind what the skeptics think. I worked on so many problems – hawkers, parking and toilets in the area as an ordinary person. Now, I want to bring change as a Shiv Sainik.”
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