Konkan becomes battlefield of two Sena factions

MUMBAI: A Shiv Sena bastion for over three decades, Konkan turned into a battlefield for the two rival factions of the party on Saturday. Chief minister Eknath Shinde launched his campaign, ‘Mission Konkan’, for the Lok Sabha elections by attending three functions as well as a party workers’ rally. On the other hand, things are not looking good for the Thackeray faction, given that its Guhagar MLA Bhaskar Jadhav has asked his supporters to attend a rally called by him on Sunday.
Shinde visited Ratnagiri district and attended several functions in Dapoli assembly constituency: the foundation-laying ceremony of a jetty at Harne Port, a road project at Mandangad, the inauguration of the government hospital at Dapoli and a party rally at Kelshi for a coastal road bridge project ceremony. Shinde, while addressing the rally, slammed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for not coming forward to help Konkan when the region was hit by a cyclone. “I was the first one to come to help the people of Konkan but some people chose to stay in their homes,” he said. “If Thackeray had maintained a dialogue with common party workers and MLAs, this situation would not have arisen. Now he is holding ‘Jan Samvad Yatras’ (dialogues with citizens).”
Shinde’s party colleague, Ramdas Kadam, in his speech dared Thackeray to hold a rally at Dapoli. He also lauded the work of NCP MP Sunil Tatkare, and said that once CM Shinde gave the green signal, all party workers and leaders would ensure Tatkare’s victory in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Tatkare is the sitting MP from Raigad constituency and the state president of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
On the other side, the scenario was one of unease, as the Thackeray faction’s Guhagar MLA Bhaskar Jadhav indicated that he was not happy in the party and called a rally of his supporters on Sunday in Chiplun town. Guhagar is part of the Raigad Lok Sabha constituency, and Tatkare is facing tough competition from the Thackeray faction, which has fielded former MP Anant Geete.
Jadhav was in the news recently on account of his clash with former MP and union minister Narayan Rane’s son Nilesh Rane. The MLA felt that the party did not stand by him during the altercation. “Come, I want to speak with you,” said Jadhav in an appeal to his supporters. “Though I am supporting party chief Uddhav Thackeray, some people are conspiring against me. They are playing the politics of betrayal.” Several attempts to contact Jadhav failed as his phone was unreachable. However, his son Vikrant said that his father was touring a remote area and so was not reachable.
Jadhav began as a Shiv Sena worker, went on to become a legislator and later switched to the NCP. He was made a minister and later state NCP working president before he returned to the Shiv Sena. He stayed with the Thackeray faction when Shinde split the party. Jadhav does not get along with the Shinde faction leader in Konkan, Ramdas Kadam, as well as BJP leader Narayan Rane.
Meanwhile, Ramdas Kadam’s son and Sena MLA Yogesh Kadam ruled out the possibility of Jadhav joining the Shinde-led Sena. “Jadhav was ready to leave Uddhav Thackeray and join Shinde when all of us went to Guwahati against the Thackeray government,” he said. “Shinde had asked me and Uday Samant what to do with him. We both opposed his entry to our camp so Shinde did not admit him.”