शिवसेना में सबसे बड़ी बग़ावत: कैसे एकनाथ शिंदे ने ठाकरे परिवार से छीन ली पार्टी?

Indian Politics: Trust, Rebellion, and Balasaheb’s Legacy

In the arena of Indian politics, tales of loyalty and rebellion have always sparked curiosity. It’s hard to predict when a trusted aide might turn into a rebel. The conflict between dynasty politics and organizational strength often gives rise to major political dramas.

Hello, my name is Sudhanshu, and today I will tell you the story of the biggest rebellion in Maharashtra’s politics, which split the Shiv Sena, founded by Balasaheb Thackeray, into two factions. This is the story of Eknath Shinde, who challenged the Thackeray family within their own party.

“When Loyalty Changed Its Path for the Chair”

A Night’s Game: The MLAs’ Convoy Towards Surat

The date was June 20, 2022. It was midnight. About two dozen Shiv Sena MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) from Mumbai and surrounding districts were quietly heading towards Gujarat on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. As soon as they crossed Maharashtra’s Talasari border, Gujarat Police vehicles began escorting them. It’s common for MLAs to receive police escorts, but this one was special – the security cordon was so tight that perhaps even the MLAs themselves couldn’t break free. After a journey of about three hours, the convoy reached a luxurious 7-star hotel in Surat, Le Méridien. The hotel was also heavily guarded by the Gujarat Police.

Uproar in Surat and Anxiety in Mumbai

Slowly, the news reached local journalists in Surat, but no one could understand what was happening or for whom these arrangements were made. Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was restless. The party had recently suffered a setback in the Legislative Council elections, and now he had lost contact with several of his own legislators. This signaled a major threat. The next morning, June 21st, BJP leaders from Gujarat started visiting the hotel. Citing BJP sources, the news broke – more than a dozen and a half Shiv Sena MLAs, along with three party ministers, were staying at the Surat hotel. And leading this group was none other than the Leader of the Shiv Sena Legislative Party – Eknath Shinde. Shockingly, these ministers and MLAs had ditched their Maharashtra Police security detail before leaving for Gujarat, ensuring no one got wind of the plan. Soon, the number of rebel MLAs reached 30.

Who is Eknath Shinde? From Anand Dighe’s Disciple to CM

To understand this rebellion, it’s essential to know Eknath Shinde. Today, Maharashtra’s CM Shinde is best known as the closest disciple of the Shiv Sena stalwart, Anand Dighe. It was Dighe who brought Shinde into politics in 1984. Shinde’s family hailed from Satara but moved to Thane seeking employment. In his early days, Shinde worked as a laborer, drove an auto-rickshaw, and then joined the RSS. He met Anand Dighe in connection with a religious dispute, and Dighe was so impressed that he offered Shinde the position of Shiv Sena Shakha Pramukh (local unit chief). Gradually, he became very close to Dighe.

In the year 2000, Shinde lost his daughter and son in a tragic boat accident. He was devastated and considered quitting politics. But it was Anand Dighe who consoled him and brought him back. After Dighe’s death in 2001, his political legacy passed into Shinde’s hands. Since 2004, he has been continuously elected as an MLA from Thane. He cultivated an image of a leader who tried to take everyone along in his constituency, even North Indians and Muslims, groups often targeted by the Shiv Sena.

The Fire of Rebellion: Why did the Trusted Shinde Rebel?

Shinde was considered Uddhav’s trusted man, so why did he rebel? There isn’t just one reason.

• The Chief Minister’s Chair: When the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was formed in 2019, Shinde’s name was also in the running for the CM post. He was even elected Leader of the Legislative Party. However, it’s said that Uddhav Thackeray himself became CM at Sonia Gandhi’s behest, which was a setback for Shinde and his supporters.
• The Rise of Aditya Thackeray: After Uddhav became CM, Shinde was number two in the party, but the power dynamics shifted with Aditya Thackeray becoming active in politics and joining the cabinet. Allegations arose that Aditya interfered in Shinde’s Urban Development ministry work, reducing Shinde to a mere ‘rubber stamp’.
• The Succession Battle: Shinde knew Shiv Sena was a family-centric party. After Balasaheb, Uddhav became the heir, and after Uddhav, Aditya was seen as the successor. No matter how important Shinde became to the party, he could never be the ‘heir’.
• Pressure from Central Agencies: After the MVA government formation, raids by the ED (Enforcement Directorate) and Income Tax department increased on leaders of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress. Cases were filed against several Shiv Sena MLAs, some of whom later joined Shinde’s rebellion. People speculated this was the BJP’s strategy to pressure MLAs. Interestingly, agencies were never as aggressive towards Shinde himself. In fact, one Shiv Sena MLA, Pratap Sarnaik, wrote a letter to Uddhav in June 2021 advising him to join hands with the BJP.
• Uddhav’s Inaccessibility: Uddhav Thackeray faced accusations (especially after becoming CM and due to his health/Covid) of not being easily available to his party leaders and workers. This communication gap fueled resentment.
• The NCP Factor: It was also rumored that the MVA’s remote control was in Sharad Pawar’s hands. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar (who himself had rebelled against NCP earlier) got the crucial Finance Ministry. Shiv Sena MLAs complained they weren’t getting funds for development work, and the credit went to NCP. Some believed NCP was weakening Shiv Sena from within.

Operation Lotus’s Maharashtra Edition

The stage for rebellion was set. The angle of ‘Operation Lotus’ (a term used for BJP’s alleged strategy to topple opposition governments) also emerged. It is believed that Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde had good personal relations and met secretly. Shinde himself hinted in the Assembly about meeting Fadnavis in the dead of night. The first glimpse of this operation was seen in the Rajya Sabha elections on June 10, 2022, when Shiv Sena lost one confirmed seat due to cross-voting. Then, in the Legislative Council (MLC) elections on June 20, there was cross-voting within the MVA again, allowing BJP to win an extra seat. It’s said that after Shinde was allegedly sidelined in a meeting called by Uddhav before the MLC polls on June 20, and following a heated argument with Aditya Thackeray on June 18, Shinde made the final decision to split the party.

From Surat to Guwahati and to the Supreme Court

In Surat, Uddhav sent two trusted leaders to persuade Shinde. They talked for about 20 minutes, and Uddhav’s wife, Rashmi Thackeray, also tried, but Shinde did not relent. He clearly stated his intention to ally with the BJP. Subsequently, to keep the rebel MLAs more secure, they were shifted to Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam. The Assam CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma, brushed it off as ‘tourism’.

Meanwhile, Uddhav made an emotional appeal on Facebook Live and vacated his official residence. To save the party, the Uddhav faction tried to get 16 rebel MLAs disqualified, and the matter reached the Supreme Court. The court gave the rebels immediate relief by extending the deadline to respond. When Fadnavis felt confident about the numbers, he requested the Governor for a floor test. The Governor scheduled it for June 30th.

Uddhav’s Resignation and Shinde’s Coronation

Uddhav made a last-ditch effort to stop the floor test by approaching the Supreme Court, but received no relief. Following this, Uddhav announced his resignation again via Facebook Live. He took a dig at the rebels, saying that the auto-rickshaw drivers and small shopkeepers whom the party made powerful had left, but the common Shiv Sainik remained loyal.

Everyone expected Fadnavis to become the CM, but in a masterstroke, the BJP made Eknath Shinde the Chief Minister, and Fadnavis had to settle for the Deputy CM post. All this happened while the Shinde camp MLAs were celebrating their victory in a hotel in Goa, with a dance video going viral. These MLAs were then brought back to Mumbai just before the floor test. On July 4th, the Shinde-Fadnavis government easily won the trust vote in the Assembly.

The Battle for the Symbol and the Road Ahead

After Shinde became Chief Minister, the real battle began for the party’s name and its ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol. The matter went to the Election Commission of India. After a prolonged dispute, the decision favored the Shinde faction. The name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the symbol ‘bow and arrow’, synonymous with the Thackeray family, went to Shinde. The Uddhav faction had to settle for the name ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’ – abbreviated as UBT – and was allotted the ‘flaming torch’ (Mashal) symbol.

This split wasn’t limited to Shiv Sena. Later, the NCP also fractured when Ajit Pawar left his uncle Sharad Pawar to join the Shinde-BJP government. Now, alongside the debate of the ‘real’ versus ‘fake’ Shiv Sena, a similar debate began for the NCP.

The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections added another twist to this saga. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (comprising Uddhav’s Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and Congress) won more seats than the Mahayuti (Shinde’s Sena, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and BJP). Uddhav’s Shiv Sena won 9 seats and Sharad Pawar’s NCP won 8, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena secured 7 seats. However, Uddhav’s Sena contested more seats, so in terms of strike rate, Shinde performed slightly better. But these were Lok Sabha elections, dominated by national issues. The question of who represents the ‘real’ Shiv Sena might still be open, potentially finding its answer in the upcoming state assembly elections (scheduled around late 2024).

So, the question arises – is this kind of rebellion, fueled by dissatisfaction with party leadership, personal ambition, and external support, becoming the new norm in politics? Was it the will of the legislators, or a betrayal of the public mandate? What are your thoughts?

If you enjoy reading intriguing and eye-opening Political Stories, spine-chilling Horror Stories, mind-bending Crime Thrillers, fascinating Historical Events and Biographies, or adventurous Travel Diaries and gripping Suspense Thrillers, don’t forget to follow us on  Instagram and Facebook We’ll keep bringing you stories that you won’t be able to put down.