As the Navratri festivities wrap up with Dussehra on Saturday, poll-bound Maharashtra will witness a celebration of the victory of good over evil, with various political parties aiming to gain an advantage ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. On this Saturday of Dussehra rallies, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led the Shiv Sena at Azad Maidan, while Uddhav Thackeray headed the Shiv Sena (UBT) rally at the historic Shivaji Park venue. Similar to last year, both factions released video trailers to assert their claims as the true heirs to the legacy of founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
Addressing the party's Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said, "The real Shiv Sena is here. I am proud that this party is named after my father Uddhav and my grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray. They (Mahayuti government) do only corruption in the government, you all have to stop it and vote for us and show them the power of Maharashtra. They are a 'Khoka' government."
Held annually, the Dasara rally serves to establish the agenda for both the Shiv Senas and the RSS. This year, as an election year, the rally will highlight election preparedness, strategies for attack, leadership dynamics, potential government policies, and the competing claims to Bal Thackeray’s legacy by the two factions of Shiv Sena.