Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party chief Uddhav Thackeray with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar during the re-launch of the official website of Prabodhankar Thackeray at Shivaji Mandir in Mumbai. , Photo Credit: PTI
IOver the past few weeks, a proposed alliance between the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has been making headlines in Maharashtra. If formalised, this ‘Shiv Shakti-Bhimshakti’ alliance could see another dramatic change in political equations ahead of the body elections. It is believed that the coming together of two eminent families (Thackeray and Ambedkar) with their diverse constituencies (Maratha and Dalit) could pose a major challenge to the ruling coalition of the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s rival Shiv Sena faction.
In October, Mr. Ambedkar publicly expressed his desire to contest local body elections in alliance with the Thackeray camp and the Congress. Speculation of a possible Shiv Sena (UBT)-VBA alliance intensified after Mr. Thackeray helped his faction’s candidate, Rutuja Latke, to help Mr. Ambedkar win the Andheri East bypoll in November, even though the VBA did not officially support her. did.
Last month, the two leaders shared the dais during the inauguration of a website dedicated to the life and works of Mr Uddhav Thackeray’s grandfather. The two leaders talked about the strong relationship that existed between their grandfathers-Babasaheb Ambedkar and Keshav Sitaram ‘Prabodhankar’ Thackeray- and their shared belief in rooting out the evils of the caste system. Shri Uddhav Thackeray stressed the need to “uphold Indian democracy and the Constitution”, urging Shri Ambedkar to join the Army and remember the great work done by his grandfathers. After this incident, there was a round of talks between the two leaders.
While there is reconciliation now, the Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena was, until 2019, a natural and long-time ally of the BJP and a fierce protector of Hindutva. From renaming Marathwada University to BR Ambedkar Marathwada University to taking a stand contrary to the 1990 Mandal Commission report, Bal Thackeray strongly opposed Mr. Ambedkar on practically every major issue related to Dalits. It was the Shiv Sena-BJP government that was in power during the infamous Ramabai incident in Mumbai in 1997 when 10 Dalit protesters were killed in police firing. But in 2019, Mr Uddhav Thackeray broke the 25-year-old alliance with the BJP to form the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ (MVA) government with the NCP and the Congress – his father’s most bitter political rivals.
Given that Maharashtra has seen an ideologically vertical seasickness over the past three years, another ideologically-opposite alliance of Mr. Thackeray and Mr. Ambedkar should not come as a surprise. After Mr Shinde’s coup led to the collapse of his MVA government, a beleaguered Mr Thackeray is anxiously searching for new allies. His faction is fighting for political survival as 40 of its 55 MLAs and 13 of its 19 MPs have defected to Mr Shinde. The stakes are high as the BJP, aided by Mr Shinde, is making all efforts to end the Thackeray family’s 25-year rule over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The VBA is also on the backfoot after breaking its alliance with the AIMIM ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Hence a new alliance is likely to be a mutual boost for both the parties. Shri Ambedkar’s ideological reservations about the Army (UBT) have been softened by the latter’s attempt to re-position itself as ‘Army 2.0’ by eschewing ‘rigid Hindutva’ and talking of ‘progressive Hindutva’ , where a place for every community and religion. Observers say that today, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray enjoys the support of a significant minority and Dalit vote. The induction of new leaders like Sushma Andhare, an influential Ambedkarite, seems to have helped in boosting the traditional base of the Sena (UBT).
Ironically, the roadblocks to this new relationship are the NCP and the Congress. Despite being ideologically aligned with Mr. Ambedkar, both these parties are reluctant to take the VBA on board. The VBA-AIMIM combination created havoc during the 2019 general elections by eroding the votes of the Congress and the NCP. Analysts say the Congress and NCP are wary of VBA joining the alliance given the similarity of their respective vote banks.
While Mr. Ambedkar has said that the alliance is Mr. Uddhav Thackeray’s decision, it remains to be seen whether the Shiv Sena leader will forge a separate alliance with the VBA or will be able to persuade his MVA allies to include the VBA.