After Ganpati, Uddhav Thackeray will begin the state's Maha Prabodhan Yatra in Thane, the hometown of CM Eknath Shinde

After the Ganapati festival, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray will launch a statewide Maha Prabodhan Yatra from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's stronghold Thane. This will come days after the formation of a new government following the collapse of the party-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government due to a rebellion by 40 legislators. 

 

Thackeray will address the first rally at Tembhi Naka, where the former District Chief Anand Dighe operated and actively worked to advance the Shiv Sena in the Thane district. Dighe has already announced plans to revitalise and revive the party organisation with the active participation of youths and old guards.

 

The choice of Tembhi Naka is pretty evident considering that Shinde, the instigator of the insurrection, has been asserting that he joined forces with the BJP in order to advance the Hindutva of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. At Kolhapur's Bindu Chowk, the projected Maha Prabodhan Yatra will come to an end. This has gained attention because Dhananjay Mahadik, a BJP candidate from the same area, defeated Shiv Sena district chairman Sanjay Pawar in the Rajya Sabha election. In addition, a few MLAs and two MPs from the Kolhapur district joined the Shinde camp after leaving the party.

 

Following closely on the heels of his son and Yuva Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray's ongoing Shiv Samvad Yatra, which is scheduled across the districts of dissident legislators, Thackeray has proposed a new yatra. Aaditya is drawing large crowds while stating again that the "traitors" have a strategy to destroy both the Shiv Sena and the Thackeray family.

 

By organising the Maha Prabodhan Yatra, Thackeray hopes to energise his cadre and demonstrate to the BJP and rebels that he is still very much alive. Before the next assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray wants to urge the party's cadre to increase outreach to the public rather than lose heart.

 

Thackeray's yatra follows the BJP's declaration of Mission 45, which aims to win as many as possible of Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha seats as well as 200 or more seats in the state legislature with a new ruling partner Shinde camp. Uddhav and Aaditya, father and son, have urged the renegade legislators to step down and participate in fresh elections.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @themaktab