Mumbai, Correspondent

Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) chief Uddhav Thackeray cautioned party workers that if genuine voters fail to remain vigilant during polling, bogus votes could establish power, altering the very face of Mumbai over the next five years.

Thackeray was speaking at the Malvani Festival, organized by the Shiv Sena branch at Magathane. Although the event was cultural in nature, his presence lent it a strong political tone.

Prayers to Vetoba Deity

Referring to the Konkan tradition, Thackeray said he prayed to Lord Vetoba, recalling, “In 2012, during the municipal elections, I prayed here, and Suresh Prabhu became mayor. I have prayed again now—there’s no need to say what will happen next. Even if others don’t listen, God does.”

‘Marathi People Never Step Back from a Fight’

He praised long-time party workers, saying, “Many of our old Shiv Sainiks are still striving for the cause of Shiv Sena, Maharashtra, and the Marathi people. When faced with a challenge, the Marathi person never retreats. If anyone provokes us, we can’t help but take them head-on.”

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Politics has suddenly heated up in Maharashtra after the election song of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena. The reason for this politics being heated is the appearance of the words 'Jai Bhavani' and 'Hindu' in the election song. In fact, after seeing the notice to Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena on these words, the Election Commission had asked them to remove them. However, far from removing the words, Uddhav Thackeray has now made a new move by making these words his biggest political weapon in Maharashtra politics. According to political experts, Uddhav's army is trying to enhance its weakening Hindutva image with these words. In this regard, a meeting of UBT leaders was also held on Tuesday. At present, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena has started taking it forward with a message across Maharashtra.

Actually, the politics of Maharashtra started heating up when Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena launched its party's election song in the Lok Sabha elections. When the Election Commission gave notice on this, Uddhav Thackeray started linking it with the identity of Maharashtra and the old Hindutva image of his party. After receiving this notice, Shiv Sena Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that he is neither going to remove 'Jai Bhavani' from his party's song nor is he going to reduce any of its words. Thackeray said that the traditions that Shiv Sena has been following will neither be allowed to weaken at any cost nor will it be allowed to bow before any system. The proclamation of 'Jai Bhavani-Jai Shivaji' is also included in these traditions. In this matter, senior leaders of the party held a meeting on Tuesday and instructions were given to carry forward the proclamation as usual.

Political experts of Maharashtra say that the Election Commission has given notice to Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, but the party has made arrangements to polish its Hindutva image which is weakening due to this. Political expert and senior journalist Himanshu Shitole says that ever since Shiv Sena has come with the India alliance, its Hindutva image has started being called weak. Now when the Election Commission objected to the words Jai Bhavani and Hindu in one of his election songs, Uddhav Thackeray seized it as a big opportunity. He says that instead of replying to the notice sent by the Election Commission by holding a regular press conference, Uddhav Thackeray gave the message that words like Jai Bhavani and Hindu are not going to be removed at all.

Political experts believe that Shiv Sena in Maharashtra has been recognized as a party of Hindutva ideology since the beginning. But amidst the political turmoil in recent times, when it formed an alliance with Congress and other parties, many question marks started being raised regarding its ideology. Political analyst Hemant Liladhar Sathe says that since the beginning of this controversy, the way Uddhav Thackeray has talked about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Devi Tulja Bhavani and Hindavi Swaraj. From this, it becomes easy to understand how Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena is taking this matter forward with its Hindutva image. He says that in fact, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena is looking at this entire matter as a kind of political oxygen. This is the first time when Uddhav Thackeray's army has openly taken charge with the words Jai Bhavani and Hindu, after coming together in alliance in Maharashtra.

When the Election Commission sent a notice to Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, his party is also coming forward with all those old cases in which its Hindutva image used to shine. After receiving the notice, Uddhav Thackeray reminded that his father Bala Saheb Thackeray was barred from contesting elections for six years because he had launched a big campaign for Hindutva. Along with this, he also attacked the Election Commission and said that if 'Jai Bhavani' and 'Hindu' are seen in our song, then why does the Election Commission not give notice on such words spoken in the rallies of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders? .

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