n an obvious attempt to expand the footprint of the Shiv Sena beyond Maharashtra and nationally, party supremo and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has embarked on an ambitious exercise and has already set the project in motion. He has appointed Abhishek Verma, whose chequered fame predates his political career, as the national convener for this prestigious task; Verma was featured on the cover of India Today in November, 1997, as India’s youngest billionaire at the age of 29 and presided over a global business empire with operations in India, Europe, Russia and the Middle East, spanning defence manufacturing, aerospace, nuclear energy and advanced technologies.
Shinde is engaged in a court battle with Uddhav Thackeray over the allotment of the party symbol, which has been awarded to his faction by the Election Commission, though the final decision on the matter would be decided by the Apex Court where the case is pending. Shinde realizes that it was paramount for him to get his organization recognized as a national party in order to enhance his political relevance. In the past, there have been instances where regional outfits were able to get national recognition. Sharad Pawar for example had at one stage got the NCP the due status, with a bit of help from the Congress. It is another matter that the NCP does not enjoy the privilege any longer and is trying to sort out its own internal disputes.
Shiv Sena has been a party that was the first to put forth its allegiance to the Hindutva agenda. It was Balasaheb Thackeray who gave the slogan, “Garv se kaho hum Hindu hain” in the early 1970s and this has now become the credo of the BJP, which was founded in April 1980. The matter that arises is that why would Eknath Shinde want the Shiv Sena to go beyond Maharashtra, since the party has thrived on its regional chauvinistic character and why has he chosen Abhishek Verma to accomplish this job by making him the national convener for alliances and expansion? How would this impact the relationship of the party with the BJP, which is extremely strong and is already pursuing the Hindutva agenda? Shinde is looking at the future where Sena would act as a perfect foil for the BJP in many areas where the saffron brigade has either not been able to make inroads or needs a strong back up in the form of an ally. Once Shiv Sena is able to get the sufficient percentage of votes in multiple states as per the requirement of the EC, it would be eligible for many benefits including a common symbol in places where its nominees contest.
The Sena needs to make inroads in the Hindi heartland, other than the Northeast and smaller states such as Goa. Its commitment to the Hindutva narrative is unflinching and the party considers that there shall never be any contradiction between its more influential partner, the BJP and its forward march. “We are like two brothers staying in the same house with a common entrance but separate kitchens”, a leader explained. Verma has been handpicked to complete this task, primarily because he hails from Central India, and his family has deep political roots; his father, Shrikant Verma was Congress general secretary and two-term MP, his mother, Veena Verma, was a three-term MP and both his grandmothers were elected multiple times to the Lok Sabha from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh respectively. Verma has dedicated himself completely to Hindutva politics and is already taking up issues such as Gau Raksha. He has found endorsements from a section of the RSS and two Shankaracharyas and some Jagadgurus have backed him for his new role. Swami Nritya Gopal Das Maharaj, chairperson of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya, has declared him as a “Sanatan Yoddha” while extending his good wishes. He has also been felicitated by Jagadguru Swami Rambhadraacharya, one of the most revered spiritual scholars.
Verma has commenced his activities in UP where he has been touch with the Nishaad Party, and is exploring avenues of how to help the Shiv Sena grow without disturbing its equation with the BJP, which continues to be the spearhead of the NDA. This foray into politics follows his exoneration by courts in cases registered against him during the Congress regime which according to his supporters were based on personal vendetta rather than facts. In any case, he and his wife, Anca Verma, are fully involved in expanding the Shiv Sena message. Recently, she had represented him in the stone laying ceremony of the Kalki temple in Sambhal, UP, alongside VHP president, Alok Kumar and Shankaracharya Sadananda Saraswati. Shinde while emphasizing on the Hindutva as the core agenda for his party’s plans, is also conscious that he needs to have a secular image as well. According to reports, he had provided financial relief to the family of a Muslim victim of the Pahalgam attack and promised to get his house built.
In Maharashtra, he shall continue to fight it out with the Thackerays in order to consolidate his position. Simultaneously, he wishes to take the fight outside the state in order to demonstrate that there were followers of the party’s ideology in other regions as well. For instance, a Bengali activist in Kolkata, who was amongst the original Shiv Sainiks in 1966, is backing him.
Time shall determine whether the Eknath Shinde-Abhishek Verma plan shall yield results. Between us.
