Shiv Sena (UBT) Faction Files Application for Dussehra Mela, Awaiting Permission

Dussehra is just a few days away and curiosity has arisen as to which of the two factions of Shiv Sena will be allowed to hold a meeting at Dadar's Shivaji Park this year. However, this time only Shiv Sena's Thackeray group has submitted an application to the Municipal Council. No decision has been taken yet on this application submitted by the Thackeray group three months ago.

Dussehra gathering of Shiv Sena is held every year at Dadar's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Udyan or Shivaji Park. Dussehra gathering is considered prestigious for Shiv Sena. This year, Dussehra is falling on October 12. Since Shiv Sena split into two factions, there was a battle of prestige between the two factions of Shiv Sena over Dussehra gathering. But both times, only Uddhav Thackeray's group got permission. This year too Mahesh Sawant, head of Thackeray's Shiv Sena, has applied for permission. Sawant informed that he has submitted the application three months ago and yet the BMC has not taken any decision on it. He said that he has sent three reminders to the municipality in this matter.

After the fall of Shiv Sena, before the Dussehra gathering of 2022, there were rounds of accusations and recriminations between the two groups regarding the permission of Maidan. The dispute between the two groups had reached the court. The Thackeray group had rushed to the court. After a court battle, the Thackeray group was granted permission. The Shiv Sainiks of the state had given an unprecedented response to that meeting and Thackeray also got sympathy. 

Last year, both groups of Shiv Sena had applied for the Dussehra gathering of 2023. Even then, the Thackeray group had given a reminder to the municipal administration and also took out a march on the department office. As the controversy reached its peak, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena MLA Sada Saravankar announced that he had withdrawn his application for the Shivaji Park Maidan. At that time, Shinde's Shiv Sena meeting was held at Azad Maidan. It is understood that Shinde's Shiv Sena has not submitted the application yet.