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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Thackerays cede hinterland to Mahayuti war machine

Mumbai: The dust is rising in the semi-urban towns of Akola, Amravati, and Parbhani, but it is not from the cavalcade of the “Tigers” of Maharashtra. As the campaign for elections to over 242 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats reaches a fever pitch ahead of the December 2 vote, a curious silence hangs over the opposition camp. While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, are engaged in a “carpet bombing” campaign—crisscrossing the state with...

Thackerays cede hinterland to Mahayuti war machine

Mumbai: The dust is rising in the semi-urban towns of Akola, Amravati, and Parbhani, but it is not from the cavalcade of the “Tigers” of Maharashtra. As the campaign for elections to over 242 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats reaches a fever pitch ahead of the December 2 vote, a curious silence hangs over the opposition camp. While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, are engaged in a “carpet bombing” campaign—crisscrossing the state with the ferocity of a general election—the Thackeray brothers, Uddhav and Raj, are conspicuously absent from the rural stump. Their absence is not just a scheduling quirk; it is a symptom of the new, ruthless realpolitik that has gripped Maharashtra. The ruling Mahayuti alliance has adopted a “no election is too small” doctrine. For CM Fadnavis, these local body polls are not merely about civic amenities; they are a structural imperative. By treating municipal council elections with the gravity of a legislative assembly battle—holding 4-5 rallies a day—the BJP is aiming to capture the “supply lines” of Maharashtra’s politics. Municipal councils control local contracts, town planning, and, crucially, the mobilization networks that deliver votes in bigger elections. Existential legitimacy DCM Eknath Shinde, too, is fighting for existential legitimacy. His faction’s presence in these polls is a test of whether his “Shiv Sena” has truly inherited the grassroots cadre or if it remains a legislative coup without a popular base. The heavy presence of the CM and DCMs in small towns sends a powerful message to the local voter: “We are here, we have the resources, and we control the tap.” In stark contrast, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) appear to have drawn a defensive perimeter around the Mumbai-Pune-Nashik belt—the state’s urban “Golden Triangle.” Uddhav Thackeray’s campaign strategy has been remarkably insular. Instead of matching the Mahayuti’s rally-for-rally blitz in the districts, the UBT leadership has remained anchored in Mumbai, fighting a narrative war rather than an electoral one. The recent “Satyacha Morcha” (March for Truth) focused heavily on alleged irregularities in Mumbai’s voter lists. While this is a critical systemic issue, it is a “meta-battle” that resonates little with a voter in rural Vidarbha worrying about water supply or road contracts. The perception that the Thackerays have “left the whole of Maharashtra” to the Mahayuti is rooted in resource allocation. Stripped of the party name, symbol, and funds, the UBT faction seems to be conserving its depleted energy for the upcoming “crown jewel” battles—the Municipal Corporations of Mumbai (BMC) and Thane. They appear to have calculated that retaining Mumbai is a matter of survival, while winning a council in Jalgaon or Solapur is a luxury they cannot afford to chase. Outsourcing opposition This retreat has left a vacuum in the hinterland. In many of the 242 councils, the “Maha Vikas Aghadi” (MVA) challenge has effectively been outsourced to local satraps of the Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar). The Congress is busy trying to save remains of its erstwhile bastions. In regions like Vidarbha, the battle is being fought by local Congress units, often contesting independently or in “friendly fights” with UBT candidates. While, the NCP (SP) faction retains influence in Western Maharashtra without the unified “air cover” of a joint MVA leadership tour, these local battles have turned into disjointed skirmishes against a unified Mahayuti army. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has effectively ceded the semi-urban space to its allies, or worse, to its enemies. This is a dangerous gamble. If the Mahayuti sweeps these councils, they will build a fortress of local patronage that will be nearly impossible to breach in the next Assembly election. The current state of realpolitik in Maharashtra is characterized by an asymmetry of ambition. The BJP-led alliance is playing to conquer the state’s geography, ensuring their writ runs from the Mantralaya to the smallest Nagar Panchayat. The Thackerays, meanwhile, are playing to protect their history and their core urban identity. By remaining unseen in the hinterland, the Thackeray brothers may be inadvertently signalling that they are no longer pan-Maharashtra leaders, but rather the chieftains of a shrinking urban empire. In politics, visibility is viability. In the dusty towns of rural Maharashtra, the only flags flying high today are saffron—but they are being waved by Fadnavis and Shinde, not the heirs of Balasaheb. Uddhav, Raj Thackeray meet again Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj in Mumbai and both leaders are understood to have discussed seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming municipal corporation polls. Uddhav visited ‘Shivtirth’, the residence of Raj in Dadar in central Mumbai, the latest in a series of meetings this year between the once politically estranged cousins who have been warming up to each other in recent times amid signs of reconciliation and possible alliance between their parties. Although the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS are yet to formally announce an alliance, the Thackeray cousins have given enough hints of an imminent tie-up for local body polls, especially the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune and Nashik, where the two outfits have pockets of influence. A Shiv Sena (UBT) leader disclosed that during the meeting, Uddhav and Raj are believed to have discussed potential seat-sharing between their parties for the civic polls and also the alleged irregularities in voters list, an issue which the Opposition has been raising vociferously. They also discussed the reported resistance by the Congress, a partner of the Shiv Sena (UBT), to align with the MNS, he said. Earlier this week, Uddhav and Raj had submitted a letter to the State Election Commission seeking more time to submit objections and suggestions in draft voters list. Ten pc Mumbai voters have duplicate entries Nearly 10.64 per cent or more than 11 lakh of Mumbai’s 1.03 crore electorate have duplicate enrolments in the electoral roll, as per data shared by the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC). The data shows that a majority of wards with the highest number of duplicate voters were previously represented by Opposition corporators. The SEC on Wednesday extended the deadline for submitting objections from November 27 to December 3. The final voters’ list will be published on December 10, according to a statement issued by the SEC. The data shows that 4.33 lakh voters appear more than once in the draft voters’ list published last week, with multiple entries ranging from two to as many as 103 times. This has pushed the total number of duplicate enrolments to 11,01,505. The SEC has attributed the repetition of names to factors such as printing errors, voters’ relocation, and failure to remove the names of deceased persons. Booth-level workers will now conduct field visits, fill forms, and obtain verification undertakings to ensure each voter is listed only once, officials said. An SEC official indicated that Mumbai’s civic elections, slated to be completed by January 31, 2026, as per a Supreme Court directive, may see a slight delay. Depending on the pace of corrections by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the polls could either be held by the end of January or the SEC may seek an extension to the first week of February, he added. The SEC data further shows that four of the five wards with the highest number of duplicate voters were previously represented by Opposition corporators from parties such as Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Two of these wards fall under the Worli assembly constituency, represented by Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

A Global Creative Connect

The WAVES paves the way for international creative collaboration

Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone during a session at the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday. Pic: PTI
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone during a session at the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday. Pic: PTI

Mumbai: The roads in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex were bathed in hues of pink with banners announcing the first-of-its-kind WAVES summit. But inside the power-packed halls of the swanky Jio Convention Centre, the theme was all about the ‘orange economy’—an industry that encompasses the creative fields such as gaming, films, music and animation which is seen as a powerful tool of economic and cultural growth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the high-profile World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), emphasised that the summit was indeed an actual ‘wave’ symbolising creativity and global connections that could channelise the energy of the Indian youth constructively.


During his impactful hour-long speech to an audience brimming with ministers from several countries, India’s leading industrialists and members of the Indian film fraternity and young gamers, Modi dipped into Indian mythology and history while appealing to the youth with emphasis on animation and gaming.


The Prime Minister stressed on numbers, catchy slogans and statements and showed the immense potential the industry holds—the global animation industry, he said, is worth $430 million and is set to double within the next 10 years. India, with its huge young population, stands at the crossroads of building a prosperous orange economy.


Rich heritage

Modi drew from India’s rich cinematic and cultural heritage. The first ever feature film, Harishchandra, was made on this day, 112 years ago. He harked back to the contribution of India’s literary and cinematic giants from the poet Kalidas to Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor. Indian cinema, he said, has reached the corners of the world. But while hailing the work of the maestros, Modi acknowledged the numerous stories, folklore and musical traditions of every little corner of the country. Music and dance, he said, was patronised by none other than the Gods in Hindu religion and the lullaby, set to tune, is the mother’s first interaction with her child. “Just as a mother weaves dreams for her child through poetry and music, artistes weave together the collective dreams of an era,” he said. Modi’s speech stressed on India’s powerful storytelling tradition and heritage of languages, dialects, folklore and music.


The speech wasn’t all about heritage and nostalgia. While positioning India as a creative hub for other nations to turn their attention to, Modi emphasised on the all-encompassing nature of the land that has welcomed and assimilated various cultural identities. He appealed to the youth—be it a podcaster, musician, gamer or filmmaker from any part of the country, to join this new revolution that could boost the Indian economy.


Hailing the WAVES as the “beginning of the orange economy”, Modi proudly said that Indian films release in more than 100 countries and people watch Indian content with subtitles in their own languages. The Indian OTT industry has seen a 10-fold growth in recent years. Relying on catchy slogans to drive home the point, Modi said that while screens are becoming “micro”, the message is “mega” and while the screen size may be shrinking with OTT and games, the scope in the field is infinite.


Global exhibitors

The summit has exhibitors from around the world, a Bharat Pavilion which will showcase the creative talent and opportunities across India, panel discussions and talks which will unfold over the next four days.

WAVES, which is likely to see more than 10000 delegates is likely to be a transformative platform for India’s creative industries by facilitating international collaborations and business while dipping into our country’s rich cultural tapestry.


Create in India Challenges

Thirty-two challenges and competitions saw more than one lakh participants from 60 countries of which 800 finalists have been selected


Three key challenges will see their finale during WAVES


Wah Ustad: A nationwide competition for young vocalists, it provides a platform to classical, semi classical and Sufi singing talent.


Make the World Wear Khadi: A call to global advertising and marketing professionals to design campaigns promoting and position Khadi as an international brand through innovative advertising


Resonate: The EDM Challenge: Organized by the Indian Music Association (IMA) along with the I and B Ministry, this challenge invites global artists to showcase their talent in Electronic Dance Music (EDM) production.


I'm going to tell myself I have done pretty well: Deepika

As someone who moved to Mumbai when she was just 18, Bollywood star Deepika Padukone says she has done quite well for herself by creating a space in the world of entertainment.


The 39-year-old actor joined superstar Shah Rukh Khan for a session, titled "The Journey: From Outsider To Ruler", at the inaugural WAVES Summit on Thursday here.


"Today when I look back at the journey... For an 18-year-old to move to a big city... It was a big decision to make. Those little things, having to navigate life with trial and error. Overall, when I look back I say not bad, well done.


"I am actually going to tell myself I have done pretty well. You don't really sit back and look at the journey. I don't celebrate the moments too much. I look at things in a straightforward way," said Deepika, who started out as a model before making her acting debut with 2007's "Om Shanti Om" opposite Shah Rukh.


In her "me time", the "Padmaavat" star said she focuses on everyday things like running her house.


"There's a study where all the mail comes... I sort out all of it... Cleaning the kitchen, checking vegetable stock for the week, laundry...  I don't know any other way. Maybe because I started out this way. I didn't have a big house earlier. I didn't have house help," she added.


Shah Rukh, who also starred with Deepika in movies such as "Happy New Year", "Chennai Express", "Pathaan" and "Jawan", praised the actor, saying she will be a great mother to Dua, her daughter with actor-husband Ranveer Singh.


"The role she is going to play the best, is that of a mother, to Dua. She is really going to be a wonderful mom," he said.


Deepika called the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) "a timely event".


"The way this has come together, it was high time. India being the centre of it (cinema and entertainment) is the right time. It's the coming together of AI, tech, and storytelling," she added.


I don't indulge in overworking, overthinking: Shah Rukh Khan

When he is not working, he is in a meditative state, superstar Shah Rukh Khan said on Thursday at the inaugural day of the WAVES summit here.


Addressing a session on 'The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler' at the event, which is billed as a platform to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment and digital innovation, he also batted for more theatres and less expensive tickets in India.


"I still believe the call of the day is a lot more theatres, small theatres in small towns, cheaper theatres so that we can show more films to people in every corner of the country," Shah Rukh said.


He expressed the hope that with the WAVES summit, shooting processes should become easier "not only for Indians but also for people coming from outside".


"I don't indulge in overworking, overthinking. When I am not on the sets, I don't do anything. I am in a meditative state," the superstar said in a fireside chat with director friend Karan Johar and Deepika Padukone, his co-star on many movies.


The actor, one of the biggest superstars in Hindi cinema, said when he was young, he was "brash" but also gutsy.


"I believe when I was brash, overconfident, reckless, and a lot more stupid. I'm happy I was like this otherwise I wouldn't have chosen the path I did with such wonderful people. I was a little gutsy also. Thank you, young Shah Rukh Khan for being so cool," he said. 

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