Danve-Sattar highway hug again fuels Sena-Sena (UBT) merger speculation

Mumbai: A day after talk of a possible merger of the two Shiv Senas created a stir in political circles, Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve fuelled further speculation when they met and hugged each other in dramatic style on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Tuesday.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took the opportunity to say that if any of those who went with Dy CM Eknath Shinde in 2022 regretted their “mistake”, they should return to ‘Matoshree’, that is, to the Shiv Sena (UBT) under Uddhav Thackeray.

Shinde had on Monday downplayed all talk of a merger of the two Senas saying that it was his Shiv Sena that carried forward the ideology of party founder Bal Thackeray. Shinde said that his Sena had the people’s mandate. Shinde was responding to questions after talk of the two Senas coming together was triggered by the statements of Sattar and Danve.

Raut said the the true Sena was with the Thackerays. “There cannot be two Shiv Senas; the true Shiv Sena resides wherever the Thackerays are. Shiv Sena works from Shiv Sena Bhavan or Matoshree — any individual whose self-respect has been awakened, and who has become convinced that BJP in Maharashtra is fundamentally opposed to farmers and the Marathi people — perceiving it instead as a party of ‘sethjis’ (wealthy tycoons) and traders — should come to Matoshree and meet Uddhav Thackeray,” he said.

“Due to the corrupt functioning of the Election Commission, they were granted a temporary symbol; furthermore, owing to the Supreme Court’s dilatory approach, the case itself is not progressing. The moment the case is finally heard — and it is bound to be heard eventually — the verdict will undoubtedly be in our favor. It is precisely because the outcome is expected to favour us that the judgment keeps getting adjourned with repeated dates. If anyone believes that, in accordance with the Constitution, the party and the symbol will ultimately belong to us, then let them engage in a dialogue with Uddhavsaheb; they ought to reconsider his stance. However, there are certainly some individuals who will definitely not be taken back,” Raut said.

While Danve said the BJP is trying to finish off the Sena and gave an analogy of big fish eating small fish, Sattar said that while the BJP has cut the hands and legs of the Sena (UBT), it has chopped off the head of Sena in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.