Mumbai: First time after the split of Shiv Sena last year, the Ekanth Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray factions will mark the foundation day of the party on June 19 and organise events at two separate venues in Maharashtra's Mumbai in which both groups are likely to indulge in verbal duels to stake a claim as the real inheritor of the outfit founded by late Bal Thackeray.
The celebration of the Shiv Sena foundation day will take place for the first time after factionalism took over the party as a result of the rebellion by Shinde and his group of MLAs against then Chief Minister Thackeray. The party was split into two, one led by Thackeray and another by Shinde. In a fight for the symbol of Shiv Sena 'bow and arrow', the Shinde faction emerged victorious as the Election Commission, earlier this year, said that the Shinde group will be known as Shiv Sena and will keep the bow and arrow symbol. The Thackeray faction was then known as Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).Thackeray faction leader and MP Sanjay Raut had in the past criticised the ECI decision to allot the bow and arrow symbol to Shinde side and said that the poll body had lost credibility with the order, while asserting that the Thackeray-led group was the real Shiv Sena.
What are the venues of Shinde and Uddhav groups' events
The events of both the groups will take place at separate places in Mumbai with Shinde-led Shiv Sena organising its event at NESCO ground in Goregaon in the northwestern part of the city while Shiv Sena (UBT) organising its event in Shanmukhanand Hall at Sion in central Mumbai.
The tussle for the real Sena continues as both sides claim to be the real inherent of Bal Thackeray and his values.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde who is also a Shiv Sena MP informed about the celebration of the foundation day of the party and said that party workers from across the state will gather at the event.
Uddhav Thackeray to address his supporters
Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' said that Thackeray will address party workers and supporters on the occasion in Worli, an Assembly seat of his son Aaditya Thackeray.
The Shiv Sena was founded in 1966 by Bal Thackeray.
The massive rebellion by Shinde and the MLAs backing him toppled the Uddhav Thackeray's Maha Vikas Aghadi government comprising Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, and Shiv Sena, following which Shinde took over as the chief minister and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Shinde's Deputy.
(With PTI inputs)
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