Maharashtra: Fadnavis storms into Thackeray den, as Ajit enters Shinde bastion

This year Dahi Handi celebrations saw revelry of the political kind with both deputy chief ministers making an entry into the strongholds of other political parties The ruling BJP dominated the celebrations at Jambori Maidan in Worli the stronghold of the Shiv Sena UBT Hoardings with pictures of Devendra Fadnavis were seen splashed all over while at Shiv Senarsquos Eknath Shindeled home pitch at Thanersquos Tembhi Naka the Dahi Handi event saw NCPrsquos Ajit Pawarrsquos face smiling down from posters Interestingly during the MVA reign Shinde had managed to keep NCP out of ThanePosters of Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders in the background at the Jambori Maidan Dahi Handi celebration at Worli on Thursday PicShadab KhanThis year the Dahi Handi celebrations saw the Ajit Pawarled NCP make inroads into the stronghold of the Shiv Sena Eknath Shindeled The Pawarled NCP has entered Shiv Senarsquos home pitch at Thanes Tembhi Naka which could never have been possible if there were no alliances A huge banner of Pawar was put up at Tembhi Naka during Dahi Handi on ThursdayFort Thane breachedThe Tembhi Naka Dahi Handi is known as late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighersquos event Last year posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were seen during the event at Tembhi NakaAlso readMumbai Fadnavis storms into Thackeray den as Ajit enters Shinde bastionMumbai Shinde Sena pulls out of Dahi Handi events at WorliAccording to reports the NCP was always a competitor for Shiv Sena in Thane After the split in NCP the partyrsquos Thane strong man Jitendra Awhad is with party founder and chief Sharad Pawar During the Maha Vikas Aghadirsquos government Shinde had kept NCP away from Thane city But now that Ajit Pawar has joined the government the NCP has made inroads into ThaneAjit Pawarrsquos poster alongwith those of Devendra Fadnavis Amit Shah and Narendra Modi at Tembhi Nakarsquos Dahi Handi on Thursday PicSatej ShindeThere was also a tough tussle between both the Shiv Senas in Thane From the traditional Dahi Handi organized by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at Tembhi Naka like every year at walking distance there was Dahi Handi organized by Uddhav Sena leader and Member of Parliament Rajan Vichare at Jambli Naka Interestingly both the places were as crowded with Govinda teams and citizensNCP leader Jitendra Awhad who is close to NCP president Sharad Pawar attended Vichares Dahi Handi festival NCP leaders of both factions were present at both Shiv Senarsquos dahi handi celebrations on the road The spokesperson of the Shindeled Shiv Sena Sheetal Mhatre did not respond to callslsquoMessage to workersrsquoldquoThe Sarwajanik mandals in Mumbai Thane were earlier with Shiv Sena However after the MVA government came to the state BJP started celebrating the festival in the places where Shiv Sena is strong This helps connect the political party with office bearers and workers mandalsrdquo political observer Sanjay Patil saidParticipants at Jambori Maidan wearing a BJP leaderrsquos TShirts PicShadab KhanldquoFestivals always have political mobilization BJP does not do anything for no reason Political mobilization happens from festivals Political parties try to take advantage of it Having a poster of Ajit Pawar along with BJP leaders at Tembhi Naka in Thane is a message for the workers and those who come there that we are all together There are always disputes among the workers of the Mitra Party at the local level This will be an attempt to send a message to them through this posterrdquo Patil addedBJP enters WorliThe ruling BJP dominated the celebrations at Jambori Maidan in Worli the stronghold of the Shiv Sena UBT At Jambori Maidan in Worli the BJP had taken control of the festival with songs having lyrics like ldquoWorlichya lokanchi shaan bhajapachi handi The pride of the people of Worli is BJPrsquos dahi handirdquoHoardings with pictures of Fadnavis were put up and some participants were seen wearing Tshirts with CM Shindersquos name There were no pictures of him anywhere A hoarding with Aaditya Thackerayrsquos picture wishing people on the occasion was put up right outside the maidan where BJP celebrations dominatedldquoWorli is not the monopoly of any single political party We celebrated the festival of dahi handi across Mumbai Similarly it was celebrated in Worli too We celebrate every Hindu festival with enthusiasm Our presence is all over Indiardquo BJP leader Pawan Tripathi saidHighest human towerThane also witnesses the highest human pyramid at Vartak Nagar during the festival The Jai Jawan Mandal erected a human tower of nine layers on Thursday afternoon at Vartak NagarldquoThere was a restriction on celebrating festivals for two years due to the pandemic But after our government came this restriction was lifted Now festivals are being celebrated with enthusiasmrdquo said Eknath Shinde