top of page

By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

The Unequal Cousins

Raj Thackeray’s ‘sacrifice’ saved Shiv Sena (UBT) but sank the MNS Mumbai: In the volatile theatre of Maharashtra politics, the long-awaited reunion of the Thackeray cousins on the campaign trail was supposed to be the masterstroke that reclaimed Mumbai. The results of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, however, tell a story of tragic asymmetry. While the alliance has successfully helped the Shiv Sena (UBT) stem the saffron tide and regain lost ground, it has left Raj...

The Unequal Cousins

Raj Thackeray’s ‘sacrifice’ saved Shiv Sena (UBT) but sank the MNS Mumbai: In the volatile theatre of Maharashtra politics, the long-awaited reunion of the Thackeray cousins on the campaign trail was supposed to be the masterstroke that reclaimed Mumbai. The results of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, however, tell a story of tragic asymmetry. While the alliance has successfully helped the Shiv Sena (UBT) stem the saffron tide and regain lost ground, it has left Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staring at an existential crisis. The final tally reveals a brutal reality for the MNS - Raj Thackeray played the role of the savior for his cousin, but in the process, he may have become the sole loser of the 2026 mandate. The worse part is that the Shiv Sena (UBT) is reluctant to accept this and is blaming Raj for the poor performance of his party leading to the defeat. A granular analysis of the ward-wise voting patterns exposes the fundamental flaw in this tactical alliance. The vote transfer, the holy grail of any coalition, operated strictly on a one-way street. Data suggests that the traditional MNS voter—often young, aggressive, and driven by regional pride—heeded Raj Thackeray’s call and transferred their votes to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates in wards where the MNS did not contest. This consolidation was critical in helping the UBT hold its fortresses against the BJP's "Infra Man" juggernaut. However, the favor was not returned. In seats allocated to the MNS, the traditional Shiv Sena (UBT) voter appeared hesitant to back the "Engine" (MNS symbol). Whether due to lingering historical bitterness or a lack of instructions from the local UBT leadership, the "Torch" (UBT symbol) voters did not gravitate toward Raj’s candidates. The result? The UBT survived, while the MNS candidates were left stranded. ‘Second Fiddle’ Perhaps the most poignant aspect of this election was the shift in the personal dynamic between the Thackeray brothers. Decades ago, they parted ways over a bitter dispute regarding who would control the party helm. Raj, refusing to work under Uddhav, formed the MNS to chart his own path. Yet, in 2026, the wheel seems to have come full circle. By agreeing to contest a considerably lower number of seats and focusing his energy on the broader alliance narrative, Raj Thackeray tacitly accepted the role of "second fiddle." It was a pragmatic gamble to save the "Thackeray" brand from total erasure by the BJP-Shinde combine. While the brand survived, it is Uddhav who holds the equity, while Raj has been left with the debt. Charisma as a Charity Throughout the campaign, Raj Thackeray’s rallies were, as always, electric. His fiery oratory and charismatic presence drew massive crowds, a sharp contrast to the more somber tone of the UBT leadership. Ironically, this charisma served as a force multiplier not for his own party, but for his cousin’s. Raj acted as the star campaigner who energised the anti-BJP vote bank. He successfully articulated the anger against the "Delhi-centric" politics he accuses the BJP of fostering. But when the dust settled, the seats were won by UBT candidates who rode the wave Raj helped create. The MNS chief provided the wind for the sails, but the ship that docked in the BMC was captained by Uddhav. ‘Marathi Asmita’ Stung by the results and the realisation of the unequal exchange, Raj Thackeray took to social media shortly after the counting concluded. In an emotive post, he avoided blaming the alliance partner but instead pivoted back to his ideological roots. Urging his followers to "stick to the issue of Marathi Manoos and Marathi Asmita (pride)," Raj signaled a retreat to the core identity politics that birthed the MNS. It was a somber appeal, stripped of the bravado of the campaign, hinting at a leader who knows he must now rebuild from the rubble. The 2026 BMC election will be remembered as the moment Raj Thackeray proved he could be a kingmaker, even if it meant crowning the rival he once despised. He provided the timely help that allowed the Shiv Sena (UBT) to live to fight another day. But in the ruthless arithmetic of democracy, where moral victories count for little, the MNS stands isolated—a party that gave everything to the alliance and received nothing in return. Ironically, there are people within the UBT who still don’t want to accept this and on the contrary blame Raj Thackeray for dismal performance of the MNS, which they argue, derailed the UBT arithmetic. They state that had the MNS performed any better, the results would have been much better for the UBT.

A Valuable Resource

Updated: Feb 10, 2025

biodegradable

Dear Readers, hopefully you have now prepared yourself to segregate your household waste into ‘wet’ or ‘biodegradable’ and ‘dry’ or ‘non-biodegradable’ waste categories. Further, you have now decided to start composting. You would have got some guidelines from my previous articles in this series. But one always needs actual hands-on training or guidance from the experts. (Eventually, over the period, you yourself will be an expert in this field and will start providing guidance to others who need it!).


In my last week’s article, I had briefly introduced one NGO namely Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal (Enviro-Vigil) working in Thane, Dombivali-Kalyan and in the rural area beyond Kalyan. More about Green Living Consultancy provided by this NGO.


Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal provides consultancy and services to the cooperative housing societies, individual residences, educational institutes, hotels and restaurants, corporate offices etc. in the following sectors.

Waste Management and Waste Audit:


Waste or Garbage is not really a ‘waste’ per se but is valuable resource. Proper segregation of the household waste and further utilization of the segregated waste can earn additional revenue to the residential societies. PDM provides guidance in this regard. They have a team of experts who will visit your house or your society, locate a suitable area or space under your guidance for setting up of a bio- or vermi-composting unit for your society.


They will guide and help you in preparing a suitable pit for biocomposting. At the individual level, you can use a plastic bucket for biocomposting at household level as described in my previous article. But at the society or community level, you need a bigger well-constructed pit.


On the basis of number of households in a society and how much biodegradable waste is generated, this team of experts will give you  the specifications about the size of the composting pit, it’s design etc. and will give you an on site demonstration about how to arrange the raw materials in different layers, how to add the biodegradable waste etc.


They also manage this compost pit for certain period and will eventually train the gardener or other responsible person appointed by the society for this task. Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal has set up such biocomposting units at many residential complexes in Thane.


Apart from services in the waste management sector, Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal also provides consultancy services in Energy Management, Waste water recycling, Rainwater Harvesting, Setting up a Butterfly Garden and performing Green Audit etc. 


Apart from these services, Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal is also helping societies and other establishments in assessment and enhancement of biodiversity within their premises. Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal has recently launched an initiative called ‘MY LAKES’, to spread awareness about the lakes in Thane city.


This NGO also organizes ‘Nandanvan’ Beautiful Garden Competition for the gardening enthusiasts in Thane as well as in Kalyan, Dombivali, Titwala etc. In addition, this NGO has a few ongoing projects in which you can participate.  For more information about this and other activities conducted by PDM,  please contact the following numbers: 

Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal Dombivali: 9833046634

Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal Thane:  9372358454


(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

Comments

bottom of page