Strength broke, compulsion will force the union of both factions of Shiv Sena! What’s going on?

Shivsena was at its peak in the year 2022, i.e. exactly 4 years ago. To say at its peak means that Shiv Sena was in power and Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister. The rebellion that took place then not only snatched away Uddhav Thackeray’s post but also broke the party. Now, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to increase its influence, leaders of both factions of Shiv Sena have started talking about unity. Even though Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena is in power, like Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bala Saheb Thackeray), its leaders also feel that it is being weakened.

Recently Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar has openly said that BJP leaders are weakening his party. This is the reason why Abdul Sattar’s son Sameer Sattar has contested the elections against the BJP candidate despite being in the Mahayuti alliance. On the other hand, many leaders are also openly saying that both the factions should come together. Even though this may seem far-fetched, if this happens, then it will be seen in the politics of Maharashtra that Shiv Sena, which was once divided in the times of strength, can now unite in the days of ‘compulsion’.

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Where did the rumor start?

Four years have now passed since the split between the two factions. Uddhav Thackeray has suffered huge losses in these four years. The number of his MLAs has decreased in the Assembly, he has lost BMC and the real focus of his party has gone to Eknath Shinde. On the other hand, Eknath Shinde first got the post of Chief Minister but later he had to be content with the post of Deputy CM. Not only this, the situation in the state has changed after the 2024 assembly elections and now Shiv Sena is under pressure from BJP.

Now many senior leaders of both the factions believe that the challenge for them is not the other faction of Shiv Sena but BJP. Now the demand has started being raised publicly that both the factions should come together. According to PTI report, these leaders believe that if both do not come together then it may be difficult to survive.

Who is advocating coming together?

Apart from Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar, who has fielded his son against BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve has also appealed for unity. Ambadas Danve had said, ‘Many times I feel the need for this but nothing can happen just by my wish.’ While giving a similar statement, Abdul Sattar has said, ‘This is the right time for both to unite.’

Interestingly, senior leaders of both the factions are not only talking about coming together but both the leaders are also saying that now they are in danger from BJP only. Ambadas Danve has said, ‘Big fish eat small fish. BJP is doing the exact same thing with NCP and Shiv Sena. He has also said that BJP considers Shivsena not only as its political rival but also as its enemy. He further said, ‘BJP’s aim is to destroy Shiv Sena. The people who broke away from the original Shiv Sena are also realizing this now. BJP is engaged in weakening Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.

Also read: ‘BJP leaders trying to weaken Shiv Sena’, why was there ruckus in Sambhajinagar?

What did Abdul Sattar say?

Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar, who is in power, has now openly come out on rebellion. Without taking the name of BJP, he said that if our elder brother is destroying us then there is no point in coming together. However, he also said that if Eknath Shinde wants, both can come together very soon and there will be no delay in it.

Let us tell you that behind this entire exercise are some efforts of BJP and weakening Shiv Sena. Since coming to power in 2024, BJP has been continuously trying to strengthen itself in areas which have traditionally been strongholds of NCP or Shiv Sena. In this effort, it is also fielding its candidates in areas like Aurangabad which was once the stronghold of Shiv Sena. Many Shiv Sena leaders fear that if BJP continues to expand like this, their ability to demand seats in the upcoming elections will reduce and they will lose their existence.

However, one thing is also that the bitterness between the two factions has increased a lot. This is the fate of Shiv Sena today due to the rebellion of Eknath Shinde, who was once very close to Uddhav Thackeray. This bitterness is so much that both of them neither ever meet each other nor are seen talking. Even on public platforms, both are seen avoiding each other.