Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Both factions of Sena invoke Balasaheb Thackeray, Anand Dighe as battle lines get drawn

Thane: The two warring factions of Shiv Sena invoke the legacy of the saffron party’s founder Balasaheb Thackeray and firebrand leader ‘Dharmaveer’ Anand Dighe as they prepare for a fierce battle of supremacy in Thane, the mushrooming cosmopolitan city which neighbours the financial capital of Mumbai.

Thane comes under the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) and borders the neighbouring Palghar and Raigad districts of the coastal Konkan region.

While the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded Naresh Mhaske, the Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) has renominated two-time sitting MP Rajan Vichare.

Incidentally, Shinde, the Maharashtra chief minister, who with the help of BJP, dislodged Thackeray from the chair, is an MLA from Kopri-Pachpakhadi in Thane city.

As one passes through Thane, huge banners and posters with photos of Balasaheb (23 January, 1926–17 November, 2012) and Dighe welcomes people. Dighe (January 27, 1951 - August 26, 2001) was one of the closest to late Balasaheb.

Dighe, who remained a bachelor, died, aged 50, because of a heart-attack after a road accident.

The influential leader used to sport a long beard and saffron tilak, a lot of rings in his fingers, and was known for his simplicity, loyalty and honesty and was a grass-roots man who was available 24x7.

Dighe Saheb, as he was popularly known, was the mentor of Shinde, who rose from a humble Shiv Sainik to the post of chief minister.

Incidentally, the two main candidates— Vichare and Mhaske are former Thane Mayors.

“The Thane Lok Sabha seat is going to witness a contest in which the prestige of both the sides of Shiv Sena would be at stake. For Thackeray and Shinde, they will leave no stones unturned, to win this seat," said veteran political analyst Prakash Akolkar.

Mhaske is also the Shiv Sena spokesperson and part of the core team of Shinde. Incidentally, Vichare and Shinde are contemporaries and had worked together under Dighe.

“Like Balasaheb, Dighe Saheb never fought elections, but commanded tremendous following and respect. Balasaheb was known to keep the doors of his residence ‘Matoshree’ at Bandra in Mumbai open to anyone who needed his help, while Dighe ran a public durbar every evening from his residence in in Tembhi Naka in Thane, resolving grievances and settling disputes of people,” said a Thane resident, who has seen the Shiv Sena growing in the region.

“For any crisis, Dighe Saheb’s first question would be ‘Eknath kuthe ahye’ (where is Eknath?),” he said.

Thane, then a municipal council, was the first where Shiv Sena made a breakthrough in 1967 just a year after it was formed on 19 June 1966.

The relationship of Thane with Balasaheb, Dighe, Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray could be seen in Dharmaveer: Mukkam Post Thane, a biographical film which was released on 13 May, 2022, just a month before the rebellion. A sequel, Dharmaveer 2 is on the floors.

As far as Thane Lok Sabha elections are concerned, Shiv Sena's Prakash Paranjpe won it four times— 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. After his death, his son Anand Paranjpe won the seat in 2008. In 2009, the Shiv Sena lost the seat to Sanjeev Naik of NCP. However, Vichare, as part of undivided Shiv Sena won it in 2014 and 2019.