Without Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy, no one could have imagined the Shiv Sena. It was also unthinkable that a junior politician nurtured and favoured by Balasaheb would one day dethrone Balasaheb's own chosen progeny from Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray can only lament his father's decision today. On February 17, the Election Commission stripped Uddhav Thackeray of his father's creation, the Shiv Sena, as well as the party's bow and arrow election symbol.
Sharad Pawar, the Maharashtra chief minister, is known for his political acumen. His advice to ally Uddhav Thackeray to accept the loss of the party name and the ‘bow and arrow' symbol is peppered with examples from the past, all of which had little impact on voters. The larger message appears to be brief: symbols or legacy cannot compensate for political stewardship failure in perpetuity. Shiv Sena leaders' rebellion against the first family was both a vote of no confidence in Uddhav's leadership and a shift in ideology. Eknath Shinde's opportunism would not have stood a chance if a majority of party MLAs had not lost faith in party founder and patriarch Bal Thackeray's chosen heir.
The Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena will be forced to run in the BMC elections under the “Burning Torch” election symbol. Fortunately, the symbol is now well-known in Maharashtra. Most, if not all, voters are aware that the ‘Burning Torch' is the election symbol of the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena.
Fortunately for Uddhav Thackeray, NCP founder Sharad Pawar is still mentoring him and guiding him through the turmoil. Pawar is the father figure to whom Uddhav looks up. And it was Pawar who advised Uddhav Thackeray to continue as Balasaheb Thackeray's political heir.
Shiv Sena's identity has been simply synonyms with Balasaheb since its inception in 1966 until Shinde took over a large portion of the party last year. The absence of Thackeray at the helm is a major setback and a loss of face. The Uddhav faction has decided to appeal the Election Commission's decision to the Supreme Court, but it would do itself a favour if it listened to Pawar. A strong leader with conviction can create a new symbol of his or her own. Breaking ties with the BJP to join hands with the NCP and the Congress was seen as Uddhav's strategy to come out of his late father's all-encompassing shadow and assert his authority. With an eventful but brief tenure as Chief Minister and subsequent turbulence, the choices before him are difficult. He can stay with his new friends, return to the old camp, or forge his own path. In any case, Uddhav and his son Aaditya Thackeray are in for a long and difficult journey.
Sena's strength comes from its foot soldiers. They have always been the driving force behind the party's success. The ultimate test will be persuading them to keep their faith in the Thackerays.
