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{{Short description|Political party in Maharashtra, India}}{{pp-protected|small=yes}}{{EngvarB|date=September 2023}}{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}{{distinguish|Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)}}

factoids

|loksabha_leader = Rahul Shewale|ppchairman = Gajanan Kirtikar|rajyasabha_leader = Eknath ShindeHTTPS://WWW.THEHINDU.COM/NEWS/CITIES/MUMBAI/SHINDE-CHAIRS-SHIV-SENAS-FIRST-NATIONAL-EXECUTIVE-MEETING-SEEKS-BHARAT-RATNA-FOR-SAVARKAR/ARTICLE66537902.ECEFIRST=ABHINAYNEWSPAPER=THE HINDU VIA=WWW.THEHINDU.COM, Bal ThackerayThane, Thane district, MaharashtraHTTPS://TIMESOFINDIA.INDIATIMES.COM/CITY/THANE/ANAND-DIGHES-THANE-RESIDENCE-NOW-SHIV-SENA-CENTRAL-OFFICE/ARTICLESHOW/98192664.CMSLAST1=BADGERILAST2=MARPAKWARWEBSITE=THE TIMES OF INDIA, Anand Dighe's Thane residence now Shiv Sena central office, National Democratic Alliance>NDA (1988–2019, 2022–Present) {{small|(National Level & Maharashtra)}}

• UPA & MVA (2019–2022) {{small|(Maharashtra)}}

Marathi people Regionalism (politics)>regionalismJoshi, R. (1970). The Shiv Sena: A Movement in Search of Legitimacy. Asian Survey, 10(11), 967–978. {{doiEconomic and Political Weekly, 2(42), 1903–1906. {{JSTOR>24478083}}Conservatism (Conservatism in India)—HTTPS://THEPRINT.IN/POLITICS/LIKE-MANN-KI-BAAT-AND-CHAI-PE-CHARCHA-SHIV-SENA-STARTS-BRANDING-ITS-PUBLIC-INTERACTIONS/280119/DATE=22 AUGUST 2019THEPRINT>ACCESS-DATE=16 FEBRUARY 2020ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20200216124516/HTTPS://THEPRINT.IN/POLITICS/LIKE-MANN-KI-BAAT-AND-CHAI-PE-CHARCHA-SHIV-SENA-STARTS-BRANDING-ITS-PUBLIC-INTERACTIONS/280119/URL-STATUS=DEAD, —HTTPS://TIMESOFINDIA.INDIATIMES.COM/CITY/MUMBAI/NO-CHANCE-FOR-YOUNG-BLOOD-SHIV-SENA-HAS-BET-ON-AGEING-WAR-HORSES-SAY-ANALYSTS/ARTICLESHOW/68543562.CMS>TITLE=NO CHANCE FOR YOUNG BLOOD? SHIV SENA HAS BET ON AGEING WAR HORSES, SAY ANALYSTSWORK=THE TIMES OF INDIAQUOTE=RENOMINATIONS FOR LEADERS LIKE CHANDRAKANT KHAIRE, BHAVNA GAWLI, ANANDRAO ADSUL AND UNION MINISTER ANANT GITE FOR THE LOK SABHA ELECTIONS REFLECT THE SHIV SENA'S CONSERVATIVE MINDSET, THEY ADDED, —HTTPS://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2014/06/22/MAGAZINE/THE-SLUMDOG-MILLIONAIRE-ARCHITECT.HTML>TITLE=THE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ARCHITECTWORK=THE NEW YORK TIMESQUOTE=IN 1995, WHEN THE CONSERVATIVE SHIV SENA PARTY TOOK POWER IN ELECTIONS IN MAHARASHTRA STATE (MUMBAI IS ITS CAPITAL)..., Social conservatismFINANCIAL TIMES>TITLE=MUMBAI ON HIGH ALERT AFTER POLITICIAN DIESURL=HTTPS://WWW.FT.COM/CONTENT/EE4D2C58-30D5-11E2-A11A-00144FEABDC0ARCHIVE-DATE=10 DECEMBER 2022URL-STATUS=LIVE, HindutvaBAL THACKERAY AND THE RISE OF SHIV SENA>FIRST=VAIBHAVYEAR=2014Hindu nationalismARAB NEWSDATE=26 NOVEMBER 2019ACCESS-DATE=28 JANUARY 2020ARCHIVE-DATE=29 NOVEMBER 2019Economic nationalismSUNILATITLE=ELECTRIFYING INDIA: REGIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMIES OF DEVELOPMENTSTANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS>YEAR=2014Ultranationalism— HTTP://NEWS.BBC.CO.UK/1/HI/WORLD/SOUTH_ASIA/257394.STMWORK=BBC NEWSACCESS-DATE=2015-12-02, —HTTP://NEWS.BBC.CO.UK/1/HI/WORLD/SOUTH_ASIA/406405.STM>TITLE=SOUTH ASIA | POLL BAN FOR HINDU LEADERDATE=1999-07-28WORK=BBC NEWSACCESS-DATE=2015-12-02, —HTTP://WWW.CBC.CA/NEWS/ARTS/MISTRY-DEFENDS-BOOK-DROPPED-AT-MUMBAI-UNIVERSITY-1.891373>TITLE=MISTRY DEFENDS BOOK DROPPED AT MUMBAI UNIVERSITY – ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT – CBC NEWSDATE=2010-10-19WORK=LOS ANGELES TIMESTITLE=IN INDIA, BATTLE CONTINUES OVER HINDU TEMPLE'S RICHES – LATIMESRight-wing populismCOMPARATIVE POLITICAL THOUGHTFIRST=MICHAELYEAR=2013, 82, }}|successor = Right-wing politics—UNDERSTANDING MAHARASHTRA'S POLITICAL GAME OF THRONESTHE DIPLOMAT>DATE=2019-12-09URL=HTTPS://THEDIPLOMAT.COM/2019/12/UNDERSTANDING-MAHARASHTRAS-POLITICAL-GAME-OF-THRONES/QUOTE=THE BALL NOW WAS IN THE COURT OF THE BJP'S OLDEST ALLY IN THE STATE AS WELL AS AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL: THE SHIV SENA, A REGIONALIST RIGHT-WING FORCE, WHICH WON 56 SEATS, —INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ROW DID MODI, SHAH LOSE THE PLOT?>NEWSPAPER=BBCAUTHOR=MALLADI RAMA RAOACCESS-DATE=2020-01-04Far-right politics—BBCTITLE=SHIV SENA ATTACK DERAILS INDIA-PAKISTAN CRICKET TALKSTHE STRAITS TIMESDATE=7 DECEMBER 2018, Hindu nationalists in India renew demand for temple, —NEWS, The Express Tribune,weblink Shiv Sena workers to 'commit suicide' if women enter prominent Kerala temple, 15 October 2018, —NEWS, Scroll.in, 18 January 2017, Shiv Sena received 80% of all donations above Rs 20,000 to regional parties in 2015-'16: Report,weblink 13 December 2018,weblink 9 November 2019, dead, }} }}|publication = Marmik Historical: SaamanaNEWS,weblink Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray back as editor of Saamna, The Times of India, 6 August 2022, |youth = Yuva Sena|students = Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS)|women = Shiv Sena Mahila Aghadiweblink}}150px)EKNATH SINDE FACTION GETS SHIV SENA PARTY NAME, BOW AND ARROW SYMBOL>URL=HTTPS://TELANGANATODAY.COM/EKNATH-SHINDE-FACTION-GETS-SHIV-SENA-PARTY-NAME-BOW-AND-ARROW-SYMBOL, Telangana Today, 13hex={{Party color|Shiv Sena}}}}1hex={{Party color|Shiv Sena}}}} State Legislative Assembly (India)>State Legislative Assemblies| state_seats = {{hidden|List|headerstyle=background:#ccccff{{Composition bar288Shiv Sena}}}} (Maharashtra Legislative Assembly){{Composition bar|2|200|hex={{party color|Shiv Sena}}}} (Rajasthan Legislative Assembly) }} | state2_seats_name = Maharashtra Legislative Council4hex={{Party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|flag = Shiv Sena-1575560401.jpg|eci = State Party|abbreviation = SHS{{party colorSaffron (color)>Saffron}}Shiv Sena (IAST: Śhiva Sēnā) ({{Literal translation|Army of Shivaji}}) is a right-wing Marathi regionalist and Hindu ultranationalist political party in India founded in 1966 by Bal Thackeray.BOOK, Berger, Peter, Heidemann, Frank, The Modern Anthropology of India: Ethnography, Themes and Theory,weblink 3 June 2013, Routledge, 978-1-134-06111-2, 179, Currently led by Eknath Shinde, this party is the ruling party of the Indian state of Maharashtra since 2019. Shiv Sena's election symbol is the Bow and Arrow. It uses the saffron colour in its flag and a image of a roaring tiger.NEWS, Pradeep Kaushal, September 28, 2015, Shiv Sena finds Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has first right to symbol, indianexpress.com, The Indian Express, New Delhi,weblink 28 April 2020, Shivsena's bow-and-arrow symbol is the same as that of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha., Initially apolitical, the organisation was patronised by the then Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik who used it for curbing trade unions and maintain stranglehold of the Congress.WEB, Bal Thackeray, revolutionarydemocracy.org, 2012-11-19,weblink 2023-06-30, BOOK, Patel, Sujata, Thorner, Alice, Bombay: Metaphor for Modern India, Oxford University Press, Oxford India paperbacks, 1995, 978-0-19-563688-8,weblink 272, The then chief minister of Maharashtra, Vasantrao Naik, deliberately encouraged this newly formed political grouping— despite its narrow concern with Maharashtra for Maharashtrians - to break the stranglehold of the Left unions, BOOK, Srivastava, A., Sensex Of Regional Parties: Bestseller Book by Aaku Srivastava: Sensex Of Regional Parties, Prabhat Prakashan, 2022, 978-93-5521-236-8,weblink 80, The organisation at the same time carried out pro-Marathi nativist movement in Mumbai in which it agitated for preferential treatment for the Marathi people over migrants from other parts of India.WEB,weblink Why does Shinde rebellion hit so hard? A look at Shiv Sena's history, 28 June 2022, It ran a strong movement against South Indian people who were living in Bombay, alleging they did not respect Marathi people and their culture.Although Shiv Sena's primary base always remained in Maharashtra, it tried to expand to a pan-Indian base. In the 1970s, it gradually moved from advocating a pro-Marathi ideology to supporting a broader Hindu nationalist agenda, and aligned itself with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Shiv Sena took part in Mumbai (BMC) municipal elections for its entire existence. In 1989, it entered into an alliance with the BJP for Lok Sabha as well as Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections. The alliance in the latter was temporarily broken in the 2014 elections due to seat sharing adjustment, although it was quickly reformed. Shiv Sena was one of the founding members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 1998, and it also participated in Vajpayee Government from 1998 to 2004 and the Narendra Modi Government from 2014 to 2019. But after 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election, the party left the alliance after disagreements with BJP over the CM post. Under Uddhav Thackeray, Shiva Sena formed an alliance with its former rivals, the Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Parce.WEB, 2022-09-22, Shinde to Uddhav: Have you become secular now?,weblink 2023-02-20, The Indian Express, en, NEWS, Shiv Sena has turned pseudo-secular, says Devendra Fadnavis,weblink 2023-02-20, The Hindu, 10 April 2022, Banerjee, Shoumojit, WEB, शिवसेना आधीपेक्षा मावळ झाली आहे का?,weblink 2023-02-20, BBC Marathi, {{Dead link|date=May 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} The party has had a powerful hold over the Hindi film industry.WEB,weblinkweblink 11 January 2022, subscription, live, Author Rohinton Mistry slams Mumbai University after book ban, 27 August 2012, Dean, Nelson, 19 October 2010, telegraph.co.uk, {{cbignore}} It has been described as an "extremist",BOOK, Ahmed, Z.S., Balasubramanian, R., 2010, Extremism in Pakistan and India: The Case of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Shiv Sena, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, BOOK, Mehta, Ved, Rajiv Gandhi and Rama's Kingdom, 1994,weblink registration, Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven, Connecticut, 157, 9780300060386, "chauvinist",BOOK, Bagchi, Amiya, Capital and Labour Redefined:India and the Third World, 2002, Anthem Press, London, 344, BOOK, Kaminsky, Arnold, India Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic,weblink limited, 2011, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara, California, 628, or "fascist" party.BOOK, Chandavarkar, Rajnayaran, History, Culture and the Indian City,weblink limited, 3 September 2009, Cambridge University Press, 978-0-521-76871-9, 29, 1st, BOOK, Jeff Haynes, Religion, Politics and International Relations,weblink 18 November 2012, 7 April 2011, Taylor & Francis, 978-1-136-73753-4, 150, Shiv Sena has been allegedly involved in the 1970 communal violence in Bhiwandi, the 1984 Bhiwandi riot, and violence in the 1992–1993 Bombay riots.BOOK, Human Rights Watch World Report 1999, 1998, Human Rights Watch, 978-1-56432-190-9, 186,weblink BOOK, Brown, Cynthia, Playing the "communal Card": Communal Violence and Human Rights, 1995, Human Rights Watch, 978-1-56432-152-7, 27,weblink The party draws its strength from the support of the Maratha and Kunbi communities of Maharashtra which Shiv Sena drew away from the Indian National Congress.BOOK, Caste, Class, and Capital: The Social and Political Origins of Economic Policy in India, Kanta Murali, Cambridge University Press, 2017, 236–237,weblink Shiv Sena's strength primarily came from Maratha support, which it drew away from the Congress, 978-1-107-15450-6,

History

Origins

After the Independence of India in 1947, regional administrative divisions from the colonial era were gradually changed and states following linguistic borders were created. Within the Bombay Presidency, a massive popular struggle was launched for the creation of a state for the Marathi-speaking people. In 1960, the presidency was divided into two linguistic states: Gujarat and Maharashtra. Moreover, Marathi-speaking areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad state were joined with Maharashtra. Bombay, in many ways the economic capital of India, became the state capital of Maharashtra. On one hand, people belonging to the Gujarati community owned the majority of the industry and trade enterprises in the city.NEWS,weblink Sena fate: From roar to meow, The Times of India, 2006-08-11, 29 November 2005, On the other hand, there was a steady flow of South Indian migrants to the city who came to take many white-collar jobs.In 1960, Bal Thackeray, a Mumbai-based cartoonist, began publishing the satirical cartoon weekly Marmik. Through this publication, he started disseminating anti-migrant sentiments. On 19 June 1966, Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena as a political organisation.The Shiv Sena attracted many unemployed Marathi youth, who were attracted by Thackeray's charged anti-migrant oratory. Shiv Sena cadres became involved in various attacks against the South Indian communities, vandalizing South Indian restaurants and pressuring employers to hire Marathis.WEB,weblink Know Your Party: Shiv Sena, Rediff.com, 2006-07-22, Initially apolitical, the organisation was patronised by the then Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik who used it for curbing trade unions and maintain stranglehold of the Congress. Because of its close association with Vasantrao, the organisation was also referred to as "Vasant Sena".The Shiv Sena declared support to the Emergency in 1975 and supported the Congress in the 1977 general election.WEB, Ananth, Venkat, 2014-09-22, The anatomy of an alliance: The BJP-Shiv Sena story,weblink 2024-04-12, mint, en, In 1980 Maharashtra Assembly election, the party did not contest from any seat however it campaigned for the Congress.WEB, Ananth, Venkat, 2014-09-22, The anatomy of an alliance: The BJP-Shiv Sena story,weblink 2024-04-12, mint, en, WEB, 2022-10-12, BJP longest, but once earlier too Congress was a Shiv Sena friend,weblink 2024-04-12, The Indian Express, en, NEWS, Deshpande, Alok, 2019-11-06, History lessons: when Sena and Congress helped each other out,weblink 2024-04-12, The Hindu, en-IN, 0971-751X,

Alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party

(File:Bal Thackeray and Madhuri Dixit at 70th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards (4).jpg|left|thumb|Bal Thackeray, at a gathering)The Sena started placing more weight on the Hindutva ideology in the 1970s as the 'sons of the soil' cause was weakening.In the 1984 general election, Shiv Sena formed its first alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena candidates fought on BJP's lotus symbol.NEWS, 2022-10-15, Maharashtra: How Chhagan Bhujbal held Shiv Sena's 'mashaal' & won in 1985,weblink 2024-04-12, The Times of India, 0971-8257, The party began a coalition with the BJP for seats in the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra Assembly from 1989. The two formed a government in Maharashtra between 1995 and 1999.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140927093832weblink">weblink dead, 2014-09-27, Maharashtra elections: BJP ends 25-year-old alliance with Shiv Sena as seat-sharing talks fail, ibnlive.in.com, 2014-10-26, The Sena was the opposition party in the state along with the BJP from 1999 to 2014. However, the 25 year alliance with the BJP was threatened in 2014 Maharashtra Assembly elections over seat sharing and both contested the election independently. With the BJP becoming the largest party following the 2014 election, Sena declared opposition. However, after negotiations, Sena agreed to join the government in Maharashtra.Shiv Sena to join Fadnavis govt; gives up claim to home minister, deputy CM post, Indian Express, 4 December 2014 The Shiv Sena-BJP combine governs the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Traditionally the main strongholds of Shiv Sena have been Mumbai and the Konkan coastal areas. However, in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections the result was reversed. The Shiv Sena made inroads in the interior parts of the state, while suffering losses in Mumbai.NEWS,weblink Maharashtra MVA crisis: What made Eknath Shinde turn against .., The Times of India, 22 June 2022,

Formation of Maharashtra Navanirman Sena

In July 2005, Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena leader Narayan Rane was expelled from the party, which sparked internal conflict in the party. In December the same year Raj Thackeray, Bal Thackeray's nephew, left the party.NEWS, Senior Shiv Sena leader quits, BBC,weblink 18 December 2005, 2014-10-25, Although the MNS is a break-away group from the Shiv Sena, the party is still based in Bhumiputra ideology. When unveiling the party in an assembly at Shivaji Park he said, everyone is anxious to see what will happen to Hindutva and, "I shall elaborate on the party's stance on issues like Hindutva, its agenda for development of Maharashtra and the significance of the party flag colours at the 19 March public meeting."NEWS,weblink Raj Thackeray launches new party, Press Trust of India, 9 March 2006, 2014-10-25,

Leadership change

Bal Thackeray's son Uddhav Thackeray became the party's leader in 2004, although Bal Thackeray continued to be an important figurehead. After the death of Bal Thackeray on 17 November 2012, Uddhav became the leader of the party but refused to take the title "Shiv Sena Pramukh" (Eng : Shiv Sena Supremo).NEWS,weblink Uddhav takes father's powers, but not Shiv Sena 'pramukh' title, Times of India, 2 December 2012, WEB, 2023-02-17, Why Uddhav lost to Shinde in fight over 'bow and arrow': 5 points from EC order,weblink 2023-02-19, Hindustan Times, en,

Ideology shifts

The Shiv Sena party's ideology has undergone changes since its formation. Initially, it started with the ideology of Marathi regionalism under the leadership of Bal Thackeray.BOOK, Purandare, Vaibhav,weblink Bal Thackeray & The Rise of the Shiv Sena, 2013-02-27, Roli Books Private Limited, 978-81-7436-991-8, en, However, the party shifted towards ultranationalism and right-wing populism over time, which helped them form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).{{Citation |last=Banerjee |first=Sikata |title=Mobilization of the Shiv Sena |date=2021-10-22 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429268564-5 |work=Warriors in Politics |pages=111–130 |place=New York |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9780429268564-5 |isbn=9780429268564 |s2cid=239541679 |access-date=2023-02-20}}BOOK, Chhibber, Pradeep K.,weblink Ideology and Identity: The Changing Party Systems of India, Verma, Rahul, 2018-08-24, Oxford University Press, 978-0-19-062390-6, en, {{Verify source|date=February 2023}} When Uddhav Thackeray became the party leader, he gradually shifted towards composite nationalism and formed an alliance with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).WEB,weblink Archived copy, 25 June 2023, 21 February 2023,weblink dead, This shift in ideology was a significant departure from Shiv Sena's traditional stance, as the party had been historically opposed to the Congress and NCP for the majority of its existence.

2022 Political crisis and split in the party

File:Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis with PM Narendra Modi.jpg|thumb|Eknath ShindeEknath ShindeIn late June 2022, Eknath Shinde, a senior Shiv Sena leader, and the majority of MLAs from Shiv Sena joined hands with the BJP.NEWS, Karthikeyan, Suchitra, 2022-06-22, Maharashtra Political Crisis: MVA slides into minority; here's how the numbers stand, en-IN, The Hindu,weblink 2023-04-04, 0971-751X, WEB, 2022-06-23, What's next in the Maharashtra political crisis? Decoding the future of the MVA alliance,weblink 2023-04-04, Firstpost, en, NEWS, 2022-06-22, Maharashtra: The political crisis brewing in India's richest state, en-GB, BBC News,weblink 2023-04-04, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari called for a trust vote, an action that would later on be described as a "sad spectacle" NEWS, Rajagopal, Krishnadas, 2023-03-15, Governors cannot precipitate the fall of elected governments: Supreme Court, en-IN, The Hindu,weblink 2023-04-04, 0971-751X, by Supreme Court of India, and draw criticism from Political Observers.NEWS, 2023-03-21, Should India abolish its state governors?, en-GB, BBC News,weblink 2023-04-04, Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the post as chief minister well as a MLC member ahead of no-confidence motion on 29 June 2022.WEB, 2022-06-29, Not keen on games, but not going away forever: Uddhav Thackeray's parting note as Maha CM,weblink 2023-04-04, Hindustan Times, en, Shinde subsequently formed a new coalition with the BJP, and was sworn in as the Chief Minister on 30 June 2022.WEB, 2022-06-27, Maharashtra political crisis Highlights {{!, First Shinde cabinet decision: Metro-3 car shed to be built inside Aarey forest |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-political-crisis-news-live-updates-shiv-sena-eknath-shinde-supreme-court-uddhav-thackeray-7993148/ |access-date=2023-04-04 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} Uddhav Thackeray filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of India claiming that Eknath Shinde and his group's actions meant that they were disqualified under the anti-defection law, with Eknath Shinde claiming that he has not defected, but rather represents the true Shiv Sena party.WEB, NETWORK, LIVELAW NEWS, 2023-03-16, Shiv Sena Case : Supreme Court Constitution Bench Reserves Judgment,weblink 2023-04-04, www.livelaw.in, en, The case is currently being heard by Supreme Court of India.NEWS, Rajagopal, Krishnadas, 2023-03-16, Supreme Court reserves judgment on Maharashtra political row, en-IN, The Hindu,weblink 2023-04-04, 0971-751X, The parties split into two factions: Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Shinde and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) led by Thackeray.Shinde subsequently filed a petition with the Election Commission of India staking his claim to the 'Shiv Sena' name and the Bow and Arrow symbol. The ECI ruled in favour of Shinde's faction based on the strength of its legislative wing, rather than on the organizational wing.WEB, Uddhav Thackeray Loses Name, Symbol Of Shiv Sena Founded By Father,weblink 2023-02-22, NDTV.com, WEB, Roy, Debayan, Supreme Court declines to stay EC order recognising Eknath Shinde faction as Shiv Sena; allows Thackeray to use 'flaming torch' for bye-polls,weblink 2023-02-22, Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news, 22 February 2023, en, NEWS, Bureau, The Hindu, 2023-02-17, Eknath Shinde faction gets Shiv Sena name, symbol, en-IN, The Hindu,weblink 2023-02-20, 0971-751X, Thackeray appealed against the decision, and the case is currently pending in the Supreme Court.WEB, Sharma, Sheenu, 2023-02-21, Supreme Court to hear Uddhav Thackeray faction's plea against Election Commission decision tomorrow,weblink 2023-02-22, www.indiatvnews.com, en,

Party structure and caste composition

Structure

File:Eknath Shinde with PM Narendra Modi Cropped.jpg|left|thumb|Eknath ShindeEknath ShindeThe Shiv Sena (SS) is led by a president, traditionally referred to as the "Shiv Sena Pramukh", ({{Translation|Chief}}) which translates to "Shiv Sena Chief" in English.JOURNAL, 2003-03-27, The Official Structure of the Shiv Sena,weblink en, 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195660449.005.0002, 31 January 2024, Bal Thackeray served as the first Shiv Sena Pramukh and took all major decisions while the activists and members of the Shiv Sena, known as Shiv Sainiks, ({{Translation|Soldiers}}) carried out most of the party's grassroots work. During his last days, the day-to-day activities of the party were handled by his youngest son Uddhav Thackeray, who succeeded him as party leader after his death in 2012. The present Mukhya neta ({{Translation|Chief leader}}) of the party is Eknath Shinde, who assumed the post in 2023 after overtaking the party.WEB, 2023-02-21, In legislative building, Shinde faction takes over Sena office,weblink 2023-02-20, The Indian Express, en, Shiv Sena has a network of grassroots organizations, known as "Shiv Sena Shakhas" ({{Translation|Branch}}). The Shakhas serve as the primary unit of the party, with each Shakha consisting of 25-50 members. The Shakhas are responsible for carrying out the party's activities at the grassroots level, such as mobilizing voters during elections, organizing protests and rallies, and engaging in community service activities.BOOK, Purandare, Vaibhav,weblink Bal Thackeray & The Rise of the Shiv Sena, 2013-02-27, Roli Books Private Limited, 978-81-7436-991-8, en, In addition to the Shakhas, the party has various other organizational structures, including the Yuva Sena, ({{Translation|Youth Army}}) party's youth wing, and the Mahila Aghadi, the party's women's wing. The Shiv Sena is also affiliated with the Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti,BOOK, Business India,weblink 24 February 2012, 1996, A.H. Advani, which advocates for the preservation of employment rights for Maharashtrians in Maharashtra.Prior to the rebellion by its prominent leader Eknath Shinde in 2022, the party was in hand of Thackeray family, thus most of the important positions was hold by Bal Thackeray's son and grandson that is Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray respectively. Opposition parties frequently alleged Shiva Sena as a dynastic political party. Bal Thackeray never remained on any elected political position but he never vacated the position of Shiva Sena supremo and ruled as a Godfather or king maker.WEB, The Wayback Machine has not archived that URL., The Times of India,weblinkweblink dead, 10 July 2022, 2023-06-24, For the first time ever, Thackeray family directly participated in election when Aditya contested for a seat of MLA in 2019. Later, his father debuted in direct politics and became chief minister of the state. Aditya was the tourism minister his father's cabinet.

Caste composition

People of various Maharashtrian castes worked together in the Sena. The party's leaders mostly came from the so-called "high castes" that is Brahmins, Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu and Pathare Prabhus - Thackerey, Manohar Joshi, Sudhir Joshi, Balwant Mantri, Hemchandra Gupte, Shyam Deshmukh, Madhav Deshpande, Datta Pradhan, Vijay Parvatkar, Madhukar Sarpotdar and Pramod Navalkar.One of the above-mentioned leaders, Hemchandra Gupte, who was Mayor of Bombay in the early 70s and was the former family physician and confidant of Thackeray, quit Shivsena citing flaws such as importance given to money, violence committed by the Shivsainiks ({{Translation|Soldiers}}) and Bal Thackeray's support to then prime minister Indira Gandhi during the 1975 emergency.BOOK, Wages of Violence : Naming and identity in postcolonial Bombay, Thomas Blom Hansen, Princeton University Press, 2001, 238,weblink 18: According to Hemchandra Gupte, a former confidante of Thackeray, his major reason for leaving the party for his growing disgust with the prominence of money and the "goonda'ization" of the party(interview, 5th October 1992). 21.Interview, 3 October 1992, with Hemchandra Gupte, physician, formerly Bal Thackeray's family doctor, and Shiv Sena's mayor of Bombay from 1971 to 1972. Dr. Gupte left Shiv Sena in 1976 because of Thackerey's support for Mrs.Gandhi and the emergency., 0691088403, There were also leaders from other castes such as Dattaji Salvi, Dattaji Nalawade and Wamanrao Mahadik, and those from the so-called lower castes such as Chaggan Bhujbal, Leeladhar Dake, Bhai Shingre and Vijay Gaonkar.{{Year needed|date=February 2023}}Over the years, other than the Bal Thackeray, there have been twelve senior leaders in the party, out of these, eight have been fromupper caste (four were Brahmins, two Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu and two Pathare Prabhus). Others have been either Maratha (Dattaji Salvi), Shimpi (Wamanrao Mahadik), Agri (Leeladhar Dake) or Mali (Chaggan Bhujbal). In fact, Bhujbal quit the party accusing the party is biased towards upper caste people.The number of Dalits were also not insignificant and even after the Sena opposed the reservations proposed by the Mandal commission, there was no dent in the percentage of Other Backward Class in the party. In this way, the Sena was successful in uniting all Maharashtrians irrespective of caste under the common "Marathi umbrella". The agenda of preferential treatment for the "sons of the soil" that is Maharashtrians brought them all together.BOOK,weblink Bal Thackeray and the rise of Shiv Sena, Vaibhav Purandare, 2012, Roli Books, 106, Its (Sena's) thrust on the economic upliftment of Maharashtrians and demand for preferential treatment of the sons of soil in employment drew the working class towards it. They wanted someone to focus on the issue that mattered to them most:Jobs. Besides, people of various castes worked together in the Sena. Though, from among the party's leaders, Thackerey, Manohar Joshi, Sudhir Joshi, Balwant Mantri, Dr Hemchandra Gupte, Shyam Deshmukh, Madhav Deshpande, Datta Pradhan, Vijay Parvatkar, Madhukar Sarpotdar and Pramod Navalkar came from the so called high castes (they were either Brahmins, Pathare Prabhus or Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus) and middle class localities like Dadar and Girgaum, rubbing shoulders with them were leaders from the working class areas of Lalbaug-Parel such as Dattaji Salvi, Dattaji Nalavade and Wamanrao Mahadik, and those from the so called lower castes such as Chaggan Bhujbal, Leeladhar Dake, Bhai Shingre and Vijay Gaonkar.... In fact, 70 per cent of Sainiks have belonged to the OBC category, and even after the party opposed the Mandal Commission recommendations, the percentage of OBCs in the Sena did not go down., 9788174369918,

Voter base

Shiv Sena's strength in the late 1980s and early '90s mainly came from the support of the Maratha caste - which it drew away from the Congress. Citing the large percentage of MLAs elected from Shiv Sena belonging to the Maratha caste, Vora from the University of Pune concludes that the Shiv Sena has been emerging as a "Maratha Party".BOOK, The Shiv Sena is emerging as another Maratha party if we go by the number of Marathas elected on its ticket in the last four elections to the Vidhan Sabha., 240, 241,weblink Christophe Jaffrelot, Sanjay Kumar, Rajendra Vora, Rise of the Plebeians?: The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies, 9781136516627, 4 May 2012, Routledge,

Headquarters

Shiva Sena's headquarters and main office is situated at Anand Dighe's house in Thane. Dighe was Guru and mentor of Shiva Sena Mukhy neta (Main leader) Eknath Shinde. On 24 February 2023, the headquarters was relocated from Shivsena Bhavan after Shinde took over the party from Uddhav Thackeray;WEB, Anand Dighe's Thane residence now Shiv Sena central office,weblinkweblink dead, 24 February 2023, TOI, 28 September 2023, while Thackeray's faction retained control over Shivsena Bhavan.Shivsena Bhavan ({{Translation|House}}), the former central office of the Shiv Sena in Mumbai,WEB, 2021-08-03, Explained: A history of Shiv Sena Bhavan, and the recent Sena-BJP clash over the building,weblink 2021-08-28, The Indian Express, en, is located on Ram Ganesh Gadkari Chowk and Shivaji Park in Dadar. It was inaugurated on 19 June 1977. The refurbished Sena Bhavan was inaugurated on 27 July 2006. It has a Copper Statue of Shivaji Maharaj and a large Poster of Bal Thackeray. In the 1993 Bombay bombings, terrorists planted a powerful bomb in Shiv Sena Bhavan; it exploded and the building received damage.NEWS, The 1993 blasts: A recap of the day that shook India,weblink 24 January 2022, India Today, IANS, 22 March 2013, en, Matoshri, the house of Bal Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray was an important building in this party. Many high-profile meetings are usually held in it. It worked as a command and control centre of the party in Bal–Uddhava's regime.

List of chief ministers

{{See also|List of chief ministers of Maharashtra}}Following is the list of the chief ministers of Maharashtra from Shiv Sena.{| class="wikitable sortable"! rowspan ="2" style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | No.! rowspan ="2" style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | Portrait! rowspan ="2" style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | Name{{small|(Birth–Death)}}! colspan ="3" style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | Tenure! rowspan ="2" style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" |Constituency ! rowspan ="2" style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | {{black|Assembly}}! style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | Assumed office! style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | Left office! style="background-color:#FF6634; color:black" | Time in officestyle="vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"| 180px)Manohar Joshi{{small>1937-2024}}14 March 1995}}1 February 1999}}1995142|1}}Dadar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)>Dadar9th{{small1995 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>1995)}}style="vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"| 280px)Narayan Rane{{small>1952-}}1 February 1999}}18 October 1999}}1999110|18}}Kudal (Vidhan Sabha constituency)>Malvan style="vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"| 380px)Uddhav Thackeray{{small>1960-}}28 November 2019}}30 June 2022}}2019286|30}}Maharashtra Legislative Council>MLC14th{{small2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>2019)}} style="vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"|480px)Eknath Shinde{{small>1964-}}30 June 2022}}|Present202230}}Kopri-Pachpakhadi Assembly constituency>Kopri Pachpakhadi

List of union ministers

• Manohar Joshi: Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, 13th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
• Anandrao Vithoba Adsul: Ministry of State, Finance and Company Affairs
• Suresh Prabhu :Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
• Anant Geete: Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Minister of Power
• Arvind Sawant: Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises

Electoral performance

Lok Sabha elections {| class"wikitable sortable"

! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Year! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Seats won! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Change in seats style="text-align:center;"1989 Indian general election>19891{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 1 style="text-align:center;"1991 Indian general election>19914{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 3 style="text-align:center;"1996 Indian general election>199615{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 11 style="text-align:center;"1998 Indian general election>19986{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{decrease}} 9 style="text-align:center;"1999 Indian general election>199915{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 9 style="text-align:center;"2004 Indian general election>200412{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{decrease}} 3 style="text-align:center;"2009 Indian general election>200911{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{decrease}} 1 style="text-align:center;"2014 Indian general election>201418{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 7style="text-align:center;"2019 Indian general election>201918{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{steady}}

Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections {| class"wikitable sortable"

! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Year! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Party leader! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Seats won! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| +/-! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Voteshare (%)! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| +/- (%)! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Popular vote! style="background:#FF6634; color:black;"| Outcome style="text-align:center;"1990 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>1990Balasaheb Thackeray52{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 52|15.94%|{{increase}} 15.94%|4,733,834Opposition}} style="text-align:center;"1995 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>199573{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 21|16.39%|{{increase}} 0.45%|6,315,493Government}} style="text-align:center;"1999 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>199969{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{decrease}} 4|17.33%|{{increase}} 0.94%|5,692,812Opposition}} style="text-align:center;"2004 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>200462{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{decrease}} 7|19.97%|{{Increase}} 2.64% |8,351,654Opposition}} style="text-align:center;"2009 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>200944{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{decrease}} 18|16.26%|{{decrease}} 3.71%|7,369,030Opposition}} style="text-align:center;"2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>2014Uddhav Thackeray63{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{increase}} 19|19.35%|{{increase}} 3.09%|10,235,970Government}} style="text-align:center;"2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>201956{{party color|Shiv Sena}}}}|{{decrease}} 7|16.41%|{{decrease}} 3.04%|9,049,789Government}}{| class="wikitable"! Election! Candidates! Elected! Votes! Source1971 Lok Sabha5227,468accessed 29 June 2008 {{dead linkbot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}1980 Lok Sabha2129,351TitlePage-VolI_LS99.PDF {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1989 Lok Sabha31339,426TitlePage-VolI_LS99.PDF {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1989 Goa Assembly6 4,960List Of Political Parties {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1991 Uttar Pradesh Assembly14145,426HTTP://ECI.NIC.IN/ECI_MAIN/STATISTICALREPORTS/SE_1991/STAT_REP_UP_91.PDF >TITLE=ARCHIVED COPY ARCHIVE-DATE=6 OCTOBER 2010 URL-STATUS=DEAD, 1991 Lok Sabha2242,208,712accessed 29 June 2008 {{dead linkbot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}1993 Madhya Pradesh Assembly8875,783rptDetailedResults {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1996 Lok Sabha132154,989,994weblink {{webarchiveweblink>date=4 March 2009}}1996 Haryana Assembly176,700TitlePage_HR-96.PDF {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1997 Punjab Assembly3719TitlePage_PU-96.PDF {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1998 Lok Sabha7966,528,566weblink {{webarchiveweblink>date=4 March 2009}}1998 Delhi Assembly329,395rptProgrammeOFElections {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1998 Himachal Pradesh Assembly62,827rptProgrammeOFElections {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}1999 Lok Sabha63155,672,412weblink {{webarchiveweblink>date=4 March 2009}}1999 Goa Assembly14 5,987TitlePageGA99.PDF {{webarchiveweblink >date=11 September 2008 }}2000 Odisha Assembly16 18,794HTTP://WWW.ECI.GOV.IN/SR_KEYHIGHLIGHTS/SE_2000/STAT_REPORT_OR_LA_2000.PDF>TITLE=KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF GENERAL ELECTION, 2000 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ORISSAARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20080911071419/HTTP://WWW.ECI.GOV.IN/SR_KEYHIGHLIGHTS/SE_2000/STAT_REPORT_OR_LA_2000.PDFURL-STATUS=DEAD, 2001 Kerala Assembly1 279HTTP://ARCHIVE.ECI.GOV.IN/SE2001/POLLUPD/AC/CANDLWC/S11/S11SHSACNST.HTM >TITLE=LIST OF CONTESTANTS OF SHIVSENA(SHS) IN KERALAACCESS-DATE=2008-06-29 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090210131949/HTTP://ARCHIVE.ECI.GOV.IN/SE2001/POLLUPD/AC/CANDLWC/S11/S11SHSACNST.HTM DF=DMY-ALL, 2002 Goa Assembly15 2004 Lok Sabha56127,056,255weblink {{webarchiveweblink>date=4 March 2009}}2009 Lok Sabha22116,828,382weblink{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}2014 Lok Sabha201810,262,9811990 Maharashtra Assembly1835247,33,834(16.39%)1995 Maharashtra Assembly169736315493(16.39%)1999 Maharashtra Assembly16969(17.33%)2004 Maharashtra Assembly163628351654 (19,97%)2009 Maharashtra Assembly160452014 Maharashtra Assembly2866310,235,9722015 Bihar Assembly8002,11,131HTTP://ECIRESULTS.NIC.IN/>TITLE=PARTYWISE RESULTACCESS-DATE=9 NOVEMBER 2015ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20141218160549/HTTP://ECIRESULTS.NIC.IN/DATE=10 NOVEMBER 2015 ACCESS-DATE=2015-12-02, 2017 Goa Assembly30792HTTP://WWW.FIRSTPOST.COM/POLITICS/GOA-ASSEMBLY-ELECTION-2017-MGP-SHIV-SENA-GSM-FORM-GRAND-ALLIANCE-TO-CONTEST-POLLS-3197056.HTML>TITLE=GOA ASSEMBLY ELECTION 2017: MGP-SHIV SENA-GSM FORM GRAND ALLIANCE TO CONTEST POLLS - FIRSTPOSTDATE=10 JANUARY 2017, ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA- STATE ELECTION, 2017 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF GOA>URL=HTTP://ECI.NIC.IN/ECI_MAIN/ARCHIVEOFGE2017/GOA/05.PERFORMANCE%20OF%20POLITICAL%20PARTIES.PDF, 5 February 2018, 2019 Lok Sabha231812,589,0642019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election>2019 Maharashtra Assembly|124|56|9,049,789 (16.41)TITLE=MAHARASHTRA POLLS: FINAL BJP-SHIV SENA SEAT SHARING NUMBERS OUTACCESS-DATE=2020-09-16LANGUAGE=EN,

Activities

The Sena says it has played a central role in the emancipation of 500,000 slum dwellers in the Dharavi area of Mumbai, the largest slum in Asia. However, the policy of giving free houses to slum dwellers has been controversial since it was introduced by the then Shiv Sena-BJP government.WEB,weblink Rediff On The NeT: An interview with Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray, www.rediff.com, NEWS,weblink 'Highrises don't suit Dharavi slum dwellers', The Times of India, 25 January 2006, WEB,weblink The Tribune, Chandigarh, - Elections 2004, www.tribuneindia.com, {{Elucidate|reason=Why is this controversial?|date=August 2018}}In the 1970s, Shiv Sena was opposed to the Namantar Andolan, a Dalit-led movement to change the name of Marathwada University in Aurangabad to "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar University", and supported views of conservative Marathas.NEWS,weblink The nativist's dilemma, The Indian Express, 2014-10-14, 2015-12-02, In 1996, Shiv Sena organised the first and only live concert of American pop icon Michael Jackson in India to raise the funds for its business wing and to help create over two-hundred seventy thousand jobs for people of Maharashtra.WEB,weblink The Way We Were: Footage of Michael Jackson's 1996 Trip To Mumbai, Huffingtonpost.in, 2015-06-25, 2015-12-02, NEWS,weblink Leader who brought ethnic politics to Mumbai melting pot, The Hindu, 2016-12-01, Shiv Sena got an entry in Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 for "collecting maximum blood in a day". Shiv Sena organized a blood donation camp which collected over 24,000 bottles of blood in a single day.WEB, Kiran Tare,weblink 24,200 donors help Sena set record | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis, Dnaindia.com, 2010-04-26, 2015-12-02, WEB,weblink Shiv Sena makes record collection at blood donation camp | Zee News, Zeenews.india.com, 2010-04-25, 2015-12-02, Later this world record was broken by a blood donation camp of HDFC Bank in 2014.NEWS,weblink HDFC Bank sets Guinness record in blood collection, The Hindu, 2014-04-14, 2015-12-02, In 2015 Shiv Sena announced 10,000 rupees help to each drought-affected farmer of Marathwada region,NEWS,weblink Shiv Sena will give Rs 10,000 to each drought-affected farmer, says Uddhav Thackeray, 30 November 2015, The Times of India, 2015-12-02, while they also announced 2 lakh rupees "reward" to Hindus family who had 5 children between 2010 and 2015 in Uttar Pradesh. As per Shiv Sena, the reason behind the "reward" was "decline in growth rate of Hindu population compared to Muslim population as per recent census".NEWS,weblink Every Hindu family with five children will get Rs 2 lakh: Shiv Sena, The Indian Express, 2015-08-29, 2015-12-02, WEB,weblink Shiv Sena to give Rs 2 lakh to every Hindu family with 5 kids, The Times of India, 2015-08-30, 2015-12-02, In January 2016, the Shiv Sena demanded that the words "secular" and "socialist" be "permanently removed" from the Constitution's Preamble which were added in the 42nd amendment during the emergency.WEB, 2015-01-29, Shiv Sena demands removal of 'secular' from Constitution,weblink 2020-10-15, The Indian Express, en, In April 2019, party member Sanjay Raut called for the burqa to be banned.NEWS, 2019-05-01, Hardline Indian group allied with Modi calls for ban on the veil, en, Reuters,weblink 2020-10-15, WEB, May 2, 2019, Shiv Sena calls for ban on burqa in public places,weblink 2020-10-15, The Times of India, en,

Controversies and criticism

The Shiv Sena has been involved in several controversies, ranging from hooliganism, criminal activities, spreading religious bigotry, and moral policing.In December 2003, Shiv Sena activists damaged the cricket pitch of the Agra Sport Stadium which was supposed to host the cricket match between Pakistan and India.WEB,weblink Shiv Sena activists damage cricket pitch, Siliconindia.com, 2003-12-18, 2013-07-09, In April 2005, Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, the student wing of Shiv Sena, attempted to prevent the India-Pakistan One-day international match being held in New Delhi. The protester's spokesman demanded:{{Blockquote|India should not play cricket with Pakistan till it hands over to India 20 terrorists, including Dawood Ibrahim, and closes down militant training camps running there.NEWS,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150904020030weblink">weblink dead, 4 September 2015, Sena squad for Kotla, 18 February 2012, Chennai, The Hindu, 15 April 2005, }}The Sena acted as a "moral police" and opposed Valentine's Day celebrations. On 14 February 2006, Bal Thackeray condemned and apologised for the violent attacks by its Shiv Sainiks on a private celebration in Mumbai. "It is said that women were beaten up in the Nallasopara incident. If that really happened, then it is a symbol of cowardice. I have always instructed Shiv Sainiks that in any situation women should not be humiliated and harassed."NEWS, Press Trust of India, PTI,weblink Thackeray condemns V-Day attacks by Sainiks, The Times of India, 18 February 2006, Mumbai, 13 November 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110811045804weblink">weblink 11 August 2011, dead, Thackeray and the Shiv Sena remained opposed to it, although they indicated support for an "Indian alternative".NEWS, Press Trust of India,weblink Thackeray suggests Indian version of V-Day, 13 February 2006, 13 November 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110811045812weblink">weblink 11 August 2011, The Times of India, dead, NEWS,weblink Right-wing to go easy on couples this Valentine's Day, NDTV.com, 17 November 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120217061835weblink">weblink 17 February 2012, live, On 20 November 2009, Shiv Sena activists attacked and vandalised the offices of Hindi and Marathi language TV news channels IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, located in Mumbai and Pune respectively. The Shivsainik slapped IBN7's senior editor Ravindra Ambekar and then attacked IBN-Lokmat's editor Nikhil Wagle. Shiv Sena attributed the attacks to the criticisms of Bal Thackeray by the news channel over his remarks on Sachin Tendulkar. Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut described the attacks as "spontaneous". Shiv Sena spokespersons tried to justify the attacks and refused to apologize for their acts of violence.WEB,weblink In the name of their Boss, Sena goons attack IBN TV channels - Indian Express, archive.indianexpress.com, WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091123095135weblink">weblink dead, 2009-11-23, Sena leader admits attack on media, IBNLive, WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091123171327weblink">weblink dead, 2009-11-23, 'Shiv Sena workers' attack ibn offices in Mum, IBNLive, On 18 November 2012, following the death of founder Bal Thackeray, Mumbai Police, under the pressure of Shiv Sena workers and activists, arrested a 21-year-old woman who posted a Facebook comment against him, as well as her friend who "liked" the comment. Shiv Sena members, who took it as an insult, vandalised the clinic owned by the woman's relative.NEWS, Anup, Kaphle, Who was Bal Thackeray and why did Mumbai come to a standstill this weekend?,weblink The Washington Post, 19 November 2012, 0190-8286, en-US, 7 February 2016,weblink 23 February 2016, live, NEWS,weblink Facebook post on Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray: Girl says she will not visit FB, 9 held for vandalism, The Economic Times, 20 November 2012, The charges were subsequently dropped, and the Government of Maharashtra was ordered to pay compensation of Rs 50,000 to each victim after the National Human Rights Commission noted that the detention was illegal and violated rights to freedom of speech and expression.WEB,weblink Maharashtra government to pay Rs.50,000 to girls arrested over FB row on Bal Thackeray's death, 15 July 2014, On 2 November 2014, during the Kiss of Love protest against moral policing, members of Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and many other right wing groups opposed and attacked protestors and threatened to strip protestors for kissing on the streets. These opposing groups claimed that public display of affection is against both Indian culture and the law of the land (under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code), though according to the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court, kissing in public is not a criminal offence.NEWS,weblink Kissing in public by married couple not obscene: HC, The Times of India, 2 February 2009, 26 November 2014, WEB, 2014-10-31, Kerala High Court refuses to interfere with Kochi Kiss fest,weblink 2021-10-17, The Indian Express, en, Police took many of the Kiss of Love protestors into custody to save their lives, but were blamed for giving a free hand to counter protestors of the right wing groups.WEB, November 5, 2014, Asha, Prakash, We took kiss of love activists into custody to save their lives {,weblink 2021-10-17, The Times of India, en, In October 2015, Shiv Sena issued threats which enforced a ban on a scheduled concert by Pakistani classic singer Ghulam Ali. The move was adopted to appease anti-Pakistan constituents to vote for Sena in coming elections.NEWS,weblink BJP-Shiv Sena Ghulam Ali stand-off: Why differences between them may increase, The Indian Express, 9 October 2015, 9 October 2015, However, in 2015 Pakistan urged the international community to take note of the activities of Shiv Sena,WEB,weblink Pakistan urges world to take notice of Shiv Sena activities - Pakistan, 30 October 2015, Dawn.Com, 2015-12-02, while Shiv Sena claimed that criticism of Shiv Sena by Pakistan vindicates "our patriotism".NEWS,weblink Pakistan's stand on party activities vindicates our patriotism: Shiv Sena | Business Standard News, Business Standard India, 2 November 2015, Business-standard.com, 2015-12-02, Press Trust of India, On 19 October 2015, Shiv Sena activists attacked and vandalised the office of BCCI to stop a meeting between PCB and BCCI officials. The activists shouted anti-Pakistan slogans and held posters that read 'Shahryar Khan go back', determined to stop Manohar from meeting his Pakistani counterpart. Shiv Sena has also threatened to stop Pakistan's Aleem Dar from officiating in the fifth and final ODI between India and South Africa.NEWS,weblink Shiv Sena activists storm BCCI HQ over Shaharyar-Manohar meeting, Dawn News, 19 October 2015, 9 November 2015, On 23 March 2017, while travelling to Delhi from Pune, Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Gaikwad was accused of thrashing Air India staff with his shoe, when they tried to make him disembark the plane, after being denied a business class seat because the flight was all-economy.WEB, Phukan, Sandeep, 3 March 2017, 'Hit Him 25 Times': Sena MP's Assault Has Air India Debating No-Fly List,weblink 23 February 2021, NDTV, The Delhi Police had charged him with hitting government staff on duty, as well as taking the plane ransom without departing from the plane. The incident led to the creation of No-Fly List in India, and Gaikwad was the first person to be put on the list.WEB, Bawa, Parmeshwar, 24 March 2017, Not On Our Flights: Airlines Ban Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, 2 Cancel His Ticket,weblink 23 February 2021, NDTV, WEB, Haidar, Faizan, 29 March 2017, Sena MP Gaikwad books yet another ticket to Delhi, Air India cancels it too,weblink 23 February 2021, Hindustan Times, During the 2018 Maharashtra Council election and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, many candidates fielded by Shiv Sena had criminal records or had criminal charges pending against them.WEB,weblink Shiv Sena tops list of candidates with criminal background in Maharashtra legislative council polls, The New Indian Express, 22 June 2018, 2019-05-31, NEWS,weblink Shiv Sena tops list of candidates with criminal cases: ADR, IANS, 2014-03-07, Business Standard India, 2019-05-31, Following actress Kangana Ranaut's criticism of Uddhav Thackeray and his Government for mishandling the death of Sushant Singh Rajput in September 2020, Shiv Sena leaders, including Sanjay Raut issued threats to her.WEB,weblink Kangana Ranaut shares video message for Sanjay Raut: 'Your men tell me they will break my jaw, kill me. I'll see you on 9th', 6 September 2020, On the orders of Shiv Sena leaders, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation demolished a portion of her house. Following the demolishion, the Bombay High Court criticized the BMC and ruled in her favour, noting that BMC acted with malice and ordered BMC to pay compensation to Ranaut.WEB,weblink BMC acted with malice to demolish Kangana Ranaut bungalow, must pay for damages, rules Bombay HC, Due to the nature of threats, Ranaut was given security from the Central Reserve Police Force from the Central Government.WEB,weblink The cost of protecting Kangana {{!, India Today Insight}}On 14 February 2022 and 2023, Shiv Sena workers in Madhya Pradesh indulged in moral policing by threatening couples if they were found to be celebrating Valentines Day. In response, police officials issued a warning not to break the law.WEB,weblink ‘Will break legs of couples seen celebrating Valentine’s Day’: Shiv Sena workers in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, As a precaution, police personnel were deployed in plain clothes across places like restaurants and malls to prevent any incidents of violence.WEB,weblink MP: Shiv Sainiks Wield Oil Soaked Sticks, Warn Couples Against Valentine's Day Celebrations,

See also

• List of political parties in India
• List of Hindu nationalist political parties

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• Ethnicity and Equality: The Shiv Sena Party and Preferential Policies in Bombay, MF Katzenstein â€“ 1979 â€“ Cornell University Press
• Warriors in Politics: Hindu Nationalism, Violence, and the Shiv Sena in India, S Banerjee â€“ 2000 â€“ Westview Press
• The Charisma of Direct Action: Power, Politics, and the Shiv Sena, JM Eckert â€“ 2003 â€“ Oxford University Press
• Shiv Sena: An Assessment, Palshikar, Suhas, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Pune, Pune (1999)
• Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found, 'Power', chapter 3, Mumbai, Mehta, Suketu, Penguin Books (2005)

External links

• {{Official websiteweblink}}

{{Indian political parties}}{{Shiv Sena}}{{Authority control}}