Mumbai is set for a political spectacle on Saturday, with the two factions of the Shiv Sena — Eknath Shinde's group and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) — holding dueling Dussehra rallies ahead of the crucial Maharashtra assembly elections. In a bid to demonstrate their strength, both factions have planned massive gatherings at prominent venues in the city.
Shinde's faction will rally at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, while Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) will assemble at their traditional stronghold, Shivaji Park in Dadar. Despite heavy rains that turned both locations muddy, Sanjay Raut, a key leader from Shiv Sena (UBT), assured that the rally at Shivaji Park would proceed as scheduled.
The Shinde camp, determined to showcase its might, expects a massive turnout of 2 lakh attendees at Azad Maidan and has arranged 3,000 private buses to ferry supporters from across Maharashtra.
Both factions have ramped up the political heat with promotional teasers ahead of the rallies. Shinde’s teaser features a symbolic tiger, representing the Shiv Sena, tied to the Congress — a nod to Uddhav Thackeray’s alliance with the opposition — with Shinde cutting the rope. Meanwhile, Uddhav’s camp has released a teaser defending Maharashtra’s pride, accusing rebel MLAs of betrayal, and promising to safeguard the state’s dignity.
As Dussehra rallies have been a long-standing tradition for the Shiv Sena, originally initiated by party founder Bal Thackeray at Shivaji Park in the 1960s, this year’s dueling events carry symbolic weight. Following the Shiv Sena's dramatic split in 2022, Uddhav Thackeray has retained Shivaji Park as the venue for his faction's rally, while Shinde's group has moved to Azad Maidan.
The high-stakes rallies come just weeks before the state elections, with the term of the current Maharashtra assembly set to end on November 26. Both factions are expected to deliver fiery speeches, with Uddhav Thackeray likely to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accuse it of orchestrating the split within the Shiv Sena.
