Six Lok Sabha members decided to bid a final farewell to the UBT faction and join the Shiv Sena. Reacting to the decision of these six MPs, Sanjay Raut, true to form, recited verses with his characteristic humility and polite language.

All these MPs were elected by leveraging the face of Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership; consequently, Mr. Sanjay Raut has demanded that they resign from their Lok Sabha memberships. Since Sanjay Raut is an extremely busy politician and editor, he may not remember certain events from history. In the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the then Shiv Sena contested under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

At that time, the campaign posters of many of Uddhav Thackeray’s candidates featured large photographs of Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis, while Uddhav Thackeray’s photograph appeared in a smaller size.

During that period, Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut were effusively praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Balakot airstrike. Throughout the assembly election campaign, both Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut publicly lauded the Modi government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 regarding Kashmir at various rallies.

However, following the assembly election results, Uddhav Thackeray betrayed the Bharatiya Janata Party regarding the Chief Minister’s post and entered into an alliance with the Sharad Pawar-Congress coalition. At that time, Sanjay Raut did not feel compelled to suggest that the MPs should resign from their Lok Sabha seats, even though the election had been contested under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

Now, however, the very same Sanjay Raut has suddenly become a champion of political morality. In the 2017 Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections, the Shiv Sena failed to secure a clear majority under Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership. At that juncture, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership extended unconditional support to the Shiv Sena; notably, the BJP leadership did not even ask for a share of power in the municipal administration in return for this support. During that period, Uddhav Thackeray engineered a split within Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and inducted seven MNS corporators into his own party.

Even then, Sanjay Raut did not seem to recall the principles of political morality. MNS corporators had sought votes by projecting Raj Thackeray’s face. In his bid to retain power, Uddhav Thackeray gave no thought to political propriety while engineering a split in his own cousin’s party. Neither he nor Sanjay Raut felt the slightest shame while dismantling Raj Thackeray’s party and debasing politics in the process.

What Uddhav Thackeray sowed back then is what is now coming to fruition. Enraged by the defection of six MPs to the Shiv Sena, Sanjay Raut has used openly provocative language, declaring that Shiv Sainiks and the general public will not tolerate such actions and threatening that these MPs would be confronted even within their own homes to answer for their conduct. However, while employing such rhetoric, Raut appears to have overlooked the question of exactly who remains within his own party.

It is only natural for state politics to heat up following the departure of six MPs from the UBT faction. This decision has inevitably impacted the faction’s numerical strength in the Lok Sabha.

Furthermore, it is bound to affect the morale of the remaining party workers, leaders, MLAs, and corporators. Instead of getting to the root causes of why these MPs left the fold, Sanjay Raut has resorted to the cheap tactic of hurling verbal abuse. A genuine attempt to uncover the underlying reasons would reveal that the roots of this issue trace back to Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray. That is why, instead of sincerely examining the causes, fingers are being pointed at these MPs.

It is likely that these MPs decided to return to the original Shiv Sena out of frustration with the carefree attitude of Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray and the arrogance of Sanjay Raut. Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut have learned no lessons from the rebellion of 2002, the Assembly election defeat of 2024, or the Mumbai Municipal Corporation election defeat. Uddhav Thackeray has achieved political success thus far on the goodwill and legacy of the revered Balasaheb Thackeray.

However, it still does not seem to have dawned on Uddhav Thackeray that if he wishes to survive politically in the future, he himself must work for the growth of the party. Nor has he yet realized that he does not enjoy the immense aura of popularity that surrounded the revered Balasaheb. Between 1985 and 1995, Balasaheb Thackeray, along with his colleagues, travelled extensively across Maharashtra.

Carrying a strong ideology of Hindutva and nationalism, the revered Balasaheb expanded his organization. The father-son duo of Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray do not possess the willingness to work as tirelessly as Balasaheb did.

Six months ago, municipal elections were held in the state. Uddhav Thackeray hardly made any effort for those elections. As a result, the UBT group was routed in municipal corporations, municipalities, and district council elections across the state. The revered Balasaheb deeply cared for ordinary party workers. He participated in both the joys and sorrows of common workers.

Balasaheb put in immense effort to build the Shiv Sena in Mumbai and Thane during the 1960s and 1970s. He created a network of dedicated workers through organizations like the Kamgar Sena and the Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti. It was on the strength of these workers that the Shiv Sena took root in Maharashtra.

However, after the reins of the party passed to Uddhav Thackeray, the fighting spirit of this organization was lost. The father-son duo of Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray do not make the effort to mingle with the common people. Uddhav Thackeray is not easily accessible even to the party’s elected representatives, office-bearers, or ordinary workers. He has yet to grasp the fundamental principle that politics is a 24-hour commitment, not something to be pursued merely in one’s spare time.

Uddhav Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi benefited from the false narrative regarding a change to the Constitution during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, once the momentum behind this false campaign fizzled out, Uddhav Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi were brought back to reality during the Assembly elections.

Even at the age of 86, a veteran leader like Sharad Pawar makes time for his party workers and elected representatives. While in the opposition, Sharad Pawar had crisscrossed the length and breadth of Maharashtra multiple times to build the Socialist Congress. It was through such hard work that Pawar Saheb’s leadership was forged.

Several generations of leaders such as Uttamrao Patil, Gopinath Munde, Pramod Mahajan, and Nitin Gadkari have worked tirelessly for the growth of the Jana Sangh and the BJP. When Uddhav Thackeray became Chief Minister, not a single BJP MLA defected.

If Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut do not change their working style, a situation may arise where not even two to four MLAs remain with them. Following the MPs’ rebellion, there is no option but to pray that Uddhav Thackeray gains the wisdom for introspection.

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