THEY are coming together after two decades. The estranged Thackeray cousins – Uddhav and Raj – have found a common ground to touch the emotional chord of their supporters and stir (read ‘nudge’) the political pot in Maharashtra ahead of the local bodies’ elections scheduled in October-November. Hindi language has acted as the new magnet to attract the opposite poles of the erstwhile Shiv Sena as the brothers have confirmed a reunion for ‘Marathi Vijay Melava’ (victory rally) following the Maharashtra Government’s rollback of a Government Resolution mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language from Std I. As much as the latest move by the Thackeray brothers whips up nostalgia for the die-hard followers of late Balasaheb Thackeray, it also vividly portrays the desperation of the two leaders to stay relevant in State’s politics.

 

The proposed reunion is a romantic idea nursed by the supporters of Uddhav and Raj ever since the two cousins parted ways. Their estrangement led to a massive emotional dilemma among party workers and leaders as they had to choose between the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), formed by Raj Thackeray. Over the years, both the parties have traversed various peaks and troughs and now have settled in Maharashtra politics as only fragments of the original Shiv Sena. Both the claimants of Balasaheb Thackeray’s iconic legacy are now fighting their own battle of survival in a political battlefield full of regional and sub-regional heavyweights who cast their own influence and form their own need-based partnerships. The show of unity by the brothers might look as a bold step to galvanise the loyal Sena workers but its value is set to be reduced only to an evening concert for the gallery. It can be termed as a major climbdown by the brothers who seem to have warmed up to the fact that they need to guard their Mumbai citadel instead of dreaming of ruling Maharashtra again.

 

The victory rally is an apparent effort to drum up public sentiments for the ensuing BMC elections. If the Thackeray supporters are rejoicing at the moment as a fresh start to reclaim Shiv Sena’s lost glory, then their joy is set to be short-lived. It is a reunion for a limited purpose, a Joint Venture Company seeking to test the public mood to decide future course in State politics. Why this get-together of the cousins does not hold the potential of a long-term, robust alliance in Maharashtra is self-explanatory. Both Uddhav and Raj had taken their own ways over the issue of control of Shiv Sena. The victory rally will test their commitment to accommodate each other’s ‘perceived success’ of pushing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the backfoot on the issue of Hindi language. Given their steadfast refusal to cede ground on claiming credit of safeguarding the ‘Marathi manoos’ in the State, the rally might act as a new flashpoint for ego clashes between the cousins.

 

There are too many past wounds that are still festering between the brothers. Just a few days back, Uddhav’s son Aditya Thackeray had declared MNS as a failed party. It triggered a war of words between leaders of both the parties before the Hindi language twist brought a sudden change in their tone and tenor. Many such soft issues had led to friction among the Thackerays when Balasaheb withdrew from day-to-day activities of Shiv Sena. The reunion will, in fact, spark a recall of all the drama played out over the two decades. What has defined the political journey of both the Thackeray brothers so far (in the Government as well as in the Opposition) is their fondness to stay entangled in trivial issues. Instead of heeding to warning signals of a vertical split in the party, Uddhav kept indulging in playing the Big Boss with total disdain for his leaders. The indifference exploded in his face as Shinde walked out with more than half of his MLAs to occupy the post of Chief Minister.

 

What followed was a series of emotional blunders by Uddhav as he resigned from CM’s post and kept sulking in the corner blaming the ‘Gaddars’. It was a naïve response to a make-or-break situation and it totally exposed Uddhav’s lack of political acumen. Subsequently, Uddhav Thackeray has come up as a meek political opponent of Fadnavis with the image of a ‘constantly taunting aunt’ in the family. On the other side, Raj kept parading as a gun-for-hire by any political party. It reduced the MNS as a party without any firm ideology or thinking. He does have the capacity to attract huge crowds with oratorical skills but the stark truth is he has never been able to convert this response into a large chunk of votes. A lot many factors are responsible for MNS’ electoral failure after it was founded in 2006. Raj’s start was aggressive, on the lines of uncle Balasaheb and with pointed arguments like grandfather Prabodhankar.

 

MNS stood up as a healthy rival to Shiv Sena on the back of aggressive campaigns for Marathi signboards in Mumbai and protest against non-Marathi recruits in Railways examination. But it floundered soon as Raj failed to walk the talk. Its failure in Nashik civic body, despite enjoying full majority, is still seen as a major embarrassment in State politics. Another grave mistake was the volte-face in the anti-toll tax agitation in Mumbai. It remains a sore point for Mumbaikars, who accuse Raj of reneging on his promise at the most critical moment. Since then, MNS has steadily withered in Maharashtra. The reunion is a desperate ditch towards gaining some ground, at least at the municipal level. This steep descent in their ambition and falling fortunes evidently sum up the situation of the Thackeray brothers. It is a reunion of desperation.