10 October,2023 06:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Thousands gathered at Shivaji Park in Dadar for Uddhav Thackeray-led Dussehra rally last year/Shadab Khan
The Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde, has chosen to withdraw its application submitted to the Mumbai civic body, requesting permission to hold a Dussehra rally at the iconic Shivaji Park ground in Mumbai, according to a statement by a party MLA on Tuesday afternoon, stated a PTI report. This year, Dussehra falls on October 24.
Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar, in a post on social media, revealed that the ruling party is retracting the application based on Shinde's directive. This decision is seen as a conciliatory move aimed at ensuring the Hindu festival is celebrated with enthusiasm.
Both the ruling Shiv Sena and the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, had submitted separate applications to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking approval to hold their Dussehra rallies at the sprawling ground in Dadar, a civic official had told PTI.
The BMC received an application on October 1 from Sarvankar and another one from the Shiv Sena (UBT) central office on October 7, both requesting permission to organise their respective rallies at the site.
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On Tuesday, Sarvankar announced the decision to withdraw the application and stated that his party's rally would be held at an alternate location. "To maintain the spirit of celebration during Shiv Sena's Dussehra festival this year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Saheb, in a conciliatory gesture, has decided that the Dussehra rally will be relocated to another venue," wrote the MLA from Mahim.
It's worth noting that Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray had initiated the tradition of conducting his party's Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park. Shivaji Park holds significant historical value for the Shiv Sena, as it is where Bal Thackeray was cremated in 2012, and it now houses a memorial in his honour.
In the previous year, rival factions of the Sena led by Shinde and Thackeray had submitted applications seeking permission to hold their annual Dussehra rallies at the ground. However, the civic body denied permission to both groups, citing concerns about law and order. Subsequently, in September 2022, the Bombay High Court granted permission for the Thackeray-led Sena faction to hold its Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park.
Last year, the Shinde camp held its rally at the MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex, a business district in suburban Mumbai. This rally marked the party's first Dussehra gathering after Shinde and supporting MLAs had rebelled against Thackeray's leadership and formed a government with BJP support in June 2022.
