Is Raj Thackeray filling the gap after Shiv Sena gave up Hindutva ideology?

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Raj Thackeray roared, “Stone for stone, sword for sword,” when he announced his support to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) at a massive crowd gathered near Hindu gymkhana to carry out the rally. Next, Raj Thackeray led the march on foot till Azad Maidan — the venue for the protest in Mumbai on Sunday.

What caught the eye was swelling crowd by every minute in the rally. Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had become irrelevant when it won 1 seat out of 110 candidates it fielded in Maharashtra assembly election in 2019. In fact, in the 2014 Assembly Election, MNS was able to win only one seat. Its candidates lost their deposits on a record 203 seats out of 218 seats on which it fielded candidates.

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So what contributed the swelling crowd? Has Raj Thackeray generated the hope that he would fill the void created by Shiv Sena who ditched its Hindutva ideology in lure of power?

Shiv Sainiks are angry and boiling as they say, “a worst leader is one who compromises on his core ideology for the sake of his vested interest.” Udhav Thackeray not only compromised on his ideology, but he humiliated his father, late Bala Saheb Thackeray legacy of Hindutva and embarrassed his core party supporters, when he bowed his head before Congress to enjoy power.”

“Imagine Udhav Thackeray joined hands with Congress with whom Shiv Sena kept opposing, fighting and mocking. Imagine how Bala Saheb Thackeray would have reacted when Aditya Thackeray went to take blessings from Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. Wasn’t Devendra Fadanvis right when he said, “The Shiv Sena’s Hindutva now rests at the feet of Congress president, Sonia Gandhi?”

This is how selfless Shiv Sena supporters expressed their anguish as they feel dejected and cheated by their party supremo Udhav Thackeray for abandoning Hindutva cause. To rub salt into the wound Udhav Thakeray announced he won’t allow NRC in Maharashtra.

Raj Thackeray has indeed struck a cord even with those who opposed him in the past when he insisted “India is not a “dharamshala” for illegal migrants.” It is to be seen if Raj Thackeray carry forward Hindutva ideology with conviction. After all Shiv Sena must feel the heat for betraying its core supporters and ideology.