Uddhav to hold second mega rally in Nashik's Malegaon

Weeks after a big rally in Konkan region's Ratnagiri, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will address a mega gathering in Nashik's Malegaon on Sunday.

This is Uddhav's second rally. He now heads the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) after the Election Commission legitimised the Shinde group as the real Shiv Sena and allotted the group the bow-and-arrow symbol.

On March 5, Uddhav addressed his first rally, Shivgarjana, at Golibar Maidan at Khed in Ratnagiri. However, exactly a fortnight later on March 19, Shinde, who is how the chief leader of Shiv Sena, addressed a rally from the same spot.

Khed is the stronghold of former minister and ex-leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramdas Kadam, who has switched loyalties to Shinde. Kadam’s son Yogesh Kadam is an MLA from the Dapoli seat. Senior Kadam, a five-time MLA, and a two-term MLC started his career under Balasaheb.

Also read | Don’t use Balasaheb’s name for sympathy: Eknath Shinde takes a dig at Uddhav Thackeray

The March 26 rally will be held at the MSG College Ground at Malegaon. Uddhav’s close aide and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut reviewed preparations for the same.

In Malegaon, Dr Advay Hiray-Patil, the great-grandson of the late Bhausaheb Hiray, who was a prominent Congress leader from north Maharashtra, who had joined the Shiv Sena-UBT to become a deputy leader, is overseeing the arrangements.

The Hiray family had represented the Malegaon Outer Assembly seat for several decades.

Malegaon Outer is currently represented by Dadaji Bhuse, a close aide of Shinde. Both Shinde and Bhuse had worked under ‘Dharmaveer’ Anand Dighe.

Incidentally, the Thackeray rally comes days before Shinde and his MLAs and MPs' visit to the temple of Ayodhya to seek blessings of Lord Ram and days after his estranged cousin and MNS president Raj Thackeray addressed a rally in Mumbai.