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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.

Warriors of Night

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

We name our daughters Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati; we worship the divine feminine power in the temples but oppress, repress and even attack the feminine power amidst us. That is the irony in the way India sees its women.

After the safety of the daylight fades, women are seen as easy prey by the predators of the night.

We mark the nine nights of Navratri, the festival of the goddess, by celebrating the dedication and valour of nine real-life women who brave the challenges of the night to pursue their dreams.


PART - 5

Flying High

The pilot says stay determined and let your work prove your calibre.

Flying High

She’s in the air at any time of the day or night. It could be at 6 AM or even 11 PM. As a captain, her security is assured but before she got her pilot’s license, Ankita Dhanavade, 35, worked as a ground staff member. Back then, the 4 AM reporting time at the airport seemed daunting as Dhanavade travelled to the airport on her scooty. “I have had my uncomfortably scary moments every day. Forget humans, even dogs have chased me. Considering the rising number of crimes against women, I always carried a paper cutter with me,” she says.

Her training made her feel secure. “It covered self-defence, patiently dealing with passengers, dealing with unruly behaviour and emergencies. We were completely trained for all types of situations from terror attack to emergency landing to dealing with misbehaviour,” she says.

Challenges are not just external. Women, she says, face challenges even in their own home. As a 16-year-old, when Dhanavade told her family that she wanted to be a pilot, her choice met with resistance. “The very first reaction from my parents and grandparents was, who will marry you? Being a pilot implies traveling and not being at home for days together. I was denied permission. However, I was very sure. I did not budge. I revolted,” she says.

Dhanavade got her pilot’s licence in 2010 but had to wait for seven years before she got hired. That time was very challenging for her—apart from anxiously waiting for a job, nosy relatives and neighbours would criticise her father for spending large amounts of money on her training, particularly because she was a girl. “We only read about big crimes but every single day, there are several reactions that hamper the self-confidence of a woman. People ridiculed my parents’ decision to spend on pilot training for a woman. I chose to not react, ignore and avoid all of those people,” she says.

She needed to work so Dhanavade worked as a cabin crew member for one year in Jet Airways and then joined Indigo Airlines as ground staff member where she worked for three years. In 2017, she secured a job as a pilot in Indigo Airlines. Late nights are part of her work profile but her safety is taken care of. “Being a pilot, I am very much secured. Security guards, pick up and drop is very much sorted for pilots. However, I felt extremely unsafe when I worked as a ground staff,” she says.

Despite people’s speculation and her family’s concern about how marriageable a woman pilot is, Dhanavade is set to tie the knot in a month from now. But not before facing uncomfortable and chauvinistic questions. “I met many boys through this arranged marriage process. All of them rejected me because I was a pilot. I came across horrible reactions. The most common questions asked were, ‘do you cook?’ and ‘How will you keep yourself available for home’,” she says.

Times are changing but stereotypes aren’t easy to crack as Dhanavade has experienced. “Cooking is just one of the routine home chores which even a man should be able to manage. Rather than being worried about cooking, people must ask if the girl has trained herself in self-defence. That is the need of the hour,” she says.

Her word of advice to women is—learn self-defence techniques. “Stop relying on others for protection. Women must pull up their socks, stay undeterred, chase their dreams, stay determined and find their own ways to protect themselves,” she says.

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