The current breed of Thackerays
in the office now, Raj and Uddhav, are not as tall as Bal Thackeray was in the
Maratha politics. Both of them are well past their formative years and have not
been able to make a significant presence felt till now.
Yes, MNS has done well in the
recent elections but that show still doesn’t qualify to sustain a long run in
the politics. Until now, the both Thakcerays were under the Bal Thackeray
patronage and though operating different political outfits, they had the singular
influence and charisma of the senior Thackeray to back them.
Now that is gone.
Both of them should realize they
are a vulnerable lot irrespective of the millions strong gathering for the Thackeray
Senior funeral.
Both of them realize that to
remain relevant in the regional, and to some extent, in the national politics,
they need to perform well in assembly and parliamentary elections.
They know there are many other
taller leaders in Maharashtra politics who can
easily outshine them now with the mainstream political agenda because the
Thackerays are now minus the Bal Thackeray charisma.
So they would do all to grab the
attention, to gain the maximum out of the Bal Thackeray legacy and given the
constituency, the senior Thackeray and they have nurtured over the years, they
are left with nothing but their militant politics to follow.
The mob that gathered in
Thackeray’s funeral would certainly have fired the ambitions to follow the
tried and tested line of Sena-style politics.
And the present Shiv Sena
leadership has already begun on this line. The vandals of Shiv Sena damaged private
property and threatened kins of two girls on an innocuous Facebook post on the ‘bandh’
observed after senior Thackeray’s death. Shiv Sena vandals got two simple girls
arrested for it. Their crime - one had posted while her friend had merely liked
it. After much media attention and the subsequent criticism, the girls were
freed.
We need to be ready for more such
‘Sena bravado’ as the vandals already have the next line of ammunition in the
Thackeray memorial row.
While Congress and MNS are
opposed to its Sena-demanded place at Shivaji Park
Uddhav Thackeray is already
talking of running the show in the name of the patriarch and he and his party
would do all to keep the memorial issue burning in the immediate run to gain
the political mobilization of the mob-base of Shiv Sena supporters from Thackeray
Senior to Thackeray Junior.
And Uddhav and Raj differences
that have emerged again would force the MNS to adopt the similar line if the
Shiv Sena plans to mobilize the support base using the Sena-style of militant
politics works.
It is going to be the mob
mentality on the display again.
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/
