| Shiv Sena | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Balasaheb Thackeray |
| Founded | June 19, 1966 |
| Headquarters | Sena Bhavan, Mumbai |
| Newspaper | Saamna |
| Ideology | Bhumiputr Hindutva Conservatism Social conservatism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Alliance | National Democratic Alliance |
| Seats in Lok Sabha |
11 / 545
|
| Seats in Rajya Sabha |
4 / 250
|
| Website | |
| www.shivsena.org | |
| Politics of India Political parties Elections |
|
Shiv Sena (Marathi: शिव सेना Śiv Senā, meaning Army of Shiv, referring to Shivaji, also SHS), is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray. The party originally emerged out of a movement in Mumbai, (then called Bombay), broadly favouring increased influence of Maharashtrians in Maharashtra. It built a strong base amongst the Marathi community in the sixties based on its ideology that Maharashtra belonged to the Marathi community and that they be given preference over migrants from other Indian states.
Although the party's primary base is still in Maharashtra, it has tried to expand to a pan-Indian base. Gradually the party moved from solely advocating a pro-Marathi ideology, to one supporting a broader Hindu nationalist agenda as it aligned itself with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party has taken part in numerous Maharashtra state governments at several times and was a coalition partner in the National Democratic Alliance cabinet that ruled India between 1998-2004. Members of Shiv Sena are referred to as Shiv Sainiks.
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As the Pramukh (Chief) of the party Balasaheb Thackeray takes all major decisions, and has claimed that he ran the Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government of 1995 to 1999 with what he called a 'remote control.' Activists and members of the Shiv Sena call themselves Shiv Sainiks, and carry out most of the party's grassroots work. In recent times, Thackeray does not concern himself with day-to-day activities of the party, which is run by his youngest son Uddhav Thackeray.
The recently refurbished Sena Bhavan located in the Dadar locality in Mumbai has served as the headquarters of the Sena since 1976.[1] The Sena's shakhas (Branches) spread throughout the state of Maharashtra as well as in selected locations in other states decide upon most of the local issues in their particular cities or towns.[2]
Aditya Thackeray son of Shivsena Karyapramukh Uddhav Thackeray working as Youth Leader.
| Election | Candidates | Elected | Votes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 Parliament | 5 | 227,468 | [3] | |
| 1980 Parliament | 2 | 129,351 | [4] | |
| 1989 Parliament | 3 | 1 | 339,426 | [5] |
| 1989 Goa Assembly | 6 | 4,960 | [6] | |
| 1991 Parliament | 22 | 4 | 2,208,712 | [7] |
| 1993 Madhya Pradesh Assembly | 88 | 75,783 | [8] | |
| 1996 Parliament | 132 | 15 | 4,989,994 | [9] |
| 1996 Haryana Assembly | 17 | 6,700 | [10] | |
| 1997 Punjab Assembly | 3 | 719 | [11] | |
| 1998 Parliament | 79 | 6 | 6,528,566 | [12] |
| 1998 Delhi Assembly | 32 | 9,395 | [13] | |
| 1998 Himachal Pradesh Assembly | 6 | 2,827 | [14] | |
| 1999 Parliament | 63 | 15 | 5,672,412 | [15] |
| 1999 Goa Assembly | 14 | 5,987 | [16] | |
| 2000 Orisa Assembly | 16 | 18,794 | [17] | |
| 2001 Kerala Assembly | 1 | 279 | [18] | |
| 2002 Goa Assembly | 15 | [19] | ||
| 2004 Parliament | 56 | 12 | 7,056,255 | [20] |
| 2009 Parliament | 22 | 11 | 6,828,382 | [21] |
The Shiv Sena achieved electoral victories in local Maharashtra elections in February 2007, together with their partner the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and are set for another five year term.[22] They have achieved this on the platform of preference to Maharashtrians, which appealed to their vote bloc. The victory was noteworthy for reasons more than one. It means that by 2012, when the next BMC elections are due, the Shiv Sena would have ruled over Mumbai for an uninterrupted spell of 20 years. It was also a relief to the Junior Thackeray who personally supervised the campaign strategy.[23]
The Sena-led combine, which had suffered serious reverses in all the assembly by-elections in the past two years got 111 of the 227 seats. Out of the declared 226 seats, the Sena has won 83 seats, BJP 28, the left-wing opponents, the Indian National Congress won 71, and other opposition groups Nationalist Congress Party won 14 and MNS won 7.[22][23]
Shivsena's Youth Wing (Yuva Sena) & Student Wing (Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena) won 8 seats out of 10 in the recent Senate Election of Mumbai University under youth leader Aditya Thackeray.
Supporters of the Sena have claimed that the party has benefited the Marathi Manus (Marathi man) in Mumbai,[24] especially in the public sector.[25]
The Sena claims to have played a central role in the emancipation of 500,000 slum dwellers in the Dharavi area of Mumbai, the largest slum in Asia.[26] However, the state's policy of giving free houses to slum dwellers has been mired in controversy ever since it was introduced by the Shiv Sena-BJP government a decade ago.[27][28]
In addition, the Sena has been active in trying to improve infrastructure in Maharashtra, particularly in the financial capital of Mumbai. Nearly 40 flyovers in Mumbai and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway were constructed under the Shiv Sena administration, which led to a significant infrastructural boom in Mumbai. While successive State governments have been guilty of neglecting Mumbai's transport problems, the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government drastically altered the course. As quoted by a local newspaper, " by initiating a range of road schemes, the Sena unequivocally opted for private, motorised transport in preference to public transport." The report actually says that "critics castigate" this policy, pointing out that "only nine per cent" of the city's commuters use private transport.[29]
These moves have been a crucial factor in its increasing popularity within India and the promises of further improvement have boosted the Shiv Sena's campaigns.
Shiv Sena was involved in violence in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir on 14 July 2008, as they were blocked by Central Reserve Police Force personnel from marching towards Jammu city.[30] The Sena was demonstrating against a decision by the government of Kashmir to not hand over land to a Hindu shrine board, as the proposal had caused some of the largest protests in Kashmir's history, and stirred resentment and fears of "demographic dilution". Shiv Sena has raised the squadron on occasion since at least 1987, when 125 activists participated in what was termed "morale boosting" activities aimed at strengthening the Hindu community in Punjab during the 1980s insurgency there.[31] The group also vowed to send this squad to Srinagar in 2004 to hoist the Indian flag at the city's main intersection, Lal Chowk.[32] Later that year, the Shiv Sena attempted to disrupt India and Pakistan from playing cricket in Delhi and even in for 2011 world cup they warned to Pakistan team[33] Shiv Sena claims the members are willing to sacrifice their lives for what they believe is India's rightful existence as a Hindu nation.[30]
The offices of Hindi and Marathi TV news channels IBN-7 and IBN-Lokmat in Mumbai and Pune were attacked and vandalised by Shiv Sena activists on 20 November 2009.[34] Shiv Sena attributed the attacks to the criticisms of Balasaheb Thackeray by the news channel over his remarks on Sachin Tendulkar. Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut described the attacks as "spontaneous". Various Shiv Sena spokespersons have been justifying the attacks.[35][36]
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