Every year, major events like Dahi Handi, Ganeshotsav, and Navratri end up being used as political platforms. This year, with civic elections in focus, Dahi Handi was used as a show of force by not only the BJP, but also the Uddhav Thackeray camp and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction. Celebrations across the city were marked by grand shows and big cash prizes for Govindas. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena was all out to corner the Thackeray faction.

The city’s biggest Dahi Handi in terms of prize money turned out to be Taramati Charitable Foundation’s Dahi Kala festival at Devipada grounds in Borivli. The event organised by Shinde camp MLA Prakash Surve offered prize money of Rs 55,55,555. The highlight of the event was a power-packed performance by rural Maharashtra performer Gautami Patil, who turned out to be a crowd-puller. She came for the event from Pune.