The BJP has decided to organise a ‘dahi handi’ event at the iconic Jamboree Maidan in Worli. (File Representational Photo)The BJP will organise 370 programmes of Dahi Handi across Mumbai on Friday, in a show of strength ahead of BMC elections. On the other hand, Shiv Sena has organised a Nishta Dahi Handi at the junction of Shiv Sena Bhavan near Shivaji Park. The move comes less than a week after the BJP took over Worli’s Jamboree Maidan to celebrate Dahi Handi on a large scale, a venue where Shiv Sena organised the festival until 2019. Worli in South Mumbai is Sena MLA and Thackeray scion Aaditya Thackeray’s constituency.
The BJP has also approached 355 mandals in Mumbai and has insured 20,000 govindas for a sum of Rs 10 lakh. This is the first time the party is organising the programme, which has been traditionally associated with Shiv Sena, on such a large scale in the city.
According to political analysts, the party is likely to try and penetrate areas that are Sena strongholds in Mumbai, such as Parel, Worli, Lalbaug, Dadar, and Girgaum. City-based political analyst Sanjay Patil said, “Since the 1960-70s, Shiv Sena has managed to penetrate the community by celebrating festivals such as Dahi Handi, Diwali, and Ganpati at the local level. This has helped the Sena project itself as a party that values the local culture. Such programmes are popular in Central Mumbai, which is Sena’s ‘gadh’ (stronghold), and it did not allow BJP to penetrate these areas. Now the BJP will try its best to break the tradition. The Sena will do everything it can to counter this.”
Several Shiv Sena shakhas across Mumbai are organising Dahi Handi festivals at the local level. For example, Shakha number 225 in Colaba in South Mumbai will continue with its tradition of organising Dahi Handi on a large scale in South Mumbai, Sena leader and former corporator Sujata Sanap said.
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A senior Sena leader said, “We had decided to scale down due to the funds involved…That money should be used for healthcare, education, especially in the middle of the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, two Dahi Handi events will be the highlights in Thane, one organised by CM Eknath Shinde’s son and MP Shrikant Shinde at Tembhi Naka and the other by MP Rajan Vichare, a Thackeray family loyalist, at Jambhali Naka. The Tembhi Naka Dahi Handi was started by late Shiv Sena strongman Aanand Dighe. After his demise, CM Shinde continued the tradition and this year, his son will be organising the event. Vichare’s Dahi Handi event at Jambhali Naka is just a few minutes away from Shinde’s event.
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First published on: 17-08-2022 at 06:00:25 pm