Uddhav Thackeray has been criticized for his recent alliance with the Communist Party of India (CPI). His actions have raised concerns about his political existence, leading him to support the socialist philosophy, which is rare in the state….

Uddhav Thackeray met with state socialist leaders lately. MLC Kapil Patil, a famous socialist leader, helped arrange this meeting. After this meeting, Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut began recalling how Prabodhankar Thackeray and Shiv Sena supremo revered Balasaheb Thackeray had close ties to many socialist leaders and how Shiv Sena had allied with the Praja Socialist Party in 1967 for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Uddhav Thackeray’s sudden love for socialism isn’t surprising. He was expected to make this political maneuver.

Uddhav Thackeray became chief minister in 2019 after betraying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joining up with his party’s opponents, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party. I think his collapse began with this collaboration. Post-1985, Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray maintained a Hindutva posture and put the party at the center of state politics. Shiv Sena, which was limited to Mumbai and Thane till 1985, spread across Maharashtra on Hindutva. Balasaheb Thackeray ran only on this ideology in the 1987 Vile Parle Assembly by-election.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Sangh Parivar had started a major campaign to build a Shri Ram Mandir in Ram Janmabhoomi. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal slogans ‘Mandir wahin banaenge’ and ‘garv se kaho hum Hindu hain’ filled the air. The Alandi “Virat Hindu Sammelan” produced a saffron uproar. Shiv Sena’s Dr. Ramesh Prabhu won Vile Parle by election. It was agreed that Dr. Prabhu’s victory was fought on the Hindutva issue. The court also canceled the elections of Shiv Sena MLAs Subhash Desai, Manohar Joshi, and others for using Hindutva in their campaigns. Later in 1989, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena united for Hindutva solely.

This background was evident in Uddhav Thackeray’s meeting with socialist family leaders. Shiv Sena had openly promoted Hindutva since the 1987 Vile Parle Assembly by-election. Uddhav Thackeray abandoned Hindutva doctrine of his father, Balasaheb, in 2019. Now there is no U-turn because Uddhav Thackeray lacks the fortitude to return to his father’s Hindutva ideology. He cannot even admit to betraying the BJP and abandoning Hindutva doctrine, thus he must rely on socialist beliefs for support.

Since 1985, Balasaheb Thackeray has avoided Congress, Socialist, and Communist beliefs, making him a state “weather bomb.” It’s unfair to believe Uddhav Thackeray is uninformed of Balasaheb’s bitter socialist views. When prominent communist leader Nanasaheb Gore died in 1993, Balasaheb’s daily ‘Saamna’ ran an editorial headed ‘Dhongala shraddhanjali nahi’ (no eulogy to an imposter). Socialist journalists denounced Balasaheb for his Hindutva stance and BJP partnership. Of doubt, these journalists profited from their poisonous criticism of Balasaheb and Shiv Sena. After Uddhav Thackeray betrayed BJP, this crowd cheered and praised him.

Balasaheb never wavered in Hindutva. He actively backed the BJP because he supported Uniform Civil Code, Article 370 abrogation, and Ram Mandir building. Uddhav Thackeray seems to have forgotten and compromised his patriarch’s Hindutva. After aligning forces with Sharad Pawar and the Congress, he appears to be done. With more than 40 MLAs joining the BJP, the Nationalist Congress Party’s vertical split, and the Congress’s incompetent leadership, Uddhav Thackeray must worry about his political future, hence his frantic attempts.

The Communist Party of India and Uddhav Thackeray teamed together for the Andheri Assembly by-election a few months ago. Shiv Sena had to fight several communist leaders in Mumbai to survive. Uddhav Thackeray is conveniently ignoring all these issues and trying to roll back time. Despite political inevitability, Uddhav Thackeray should have assessed this ideology’s state hold. He appears to have lost any power to circumspect.

‘Hindutva’ was Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena’s ‘USP’. But Uddhav Thackeray auctioned this USP for the chief cabinet seat, casting question on his political life. Now that he can’t escape this ideological maze, he’s trying to hide under socialist doctrine, which scarcely exists in this state. I wonder if it will help him, or if they’ll just be satisfied with their presence.

Conclusion

For his recent partnership with the Communist Party of India (CPI), Indian politician Uddhav Thackeray has been challenged, raising questions about his political existence and prompting him to embrace socialism. Thackeray met with state socialist figures, including MLC Kapil Patil, and said that Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray was close to many of them. Thackeray had already allied with the Praja Socialist Party in 1967 for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, hence this move was expected.

Thackeray was defeated in 2019 after betraying the BJP and joining the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. Balasaheb Thackeray constantly supported the BJP for Uniform Civil Code, Article 370 abrogation, and Ram Mandir building. Uddhav Thackeray has forgotten and betrayed his patriarch’s Hindutva, appearing to have no future.

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