New Delhi: The Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray factions will mark the foundation day of the Shiv Sena by organising events at two separate venues in Mumbai today. The celebration of the foundation day will take place for the first time since the split in the party last year. The events are likely to be marked by verbal duels by both factions trying to stake claim as the real inheritor of the outfit.
While the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction will organise its event at NESCO ground in Goregaon in northwest Mumbai, the Shiv Sena (UBT) will hold its function in Shanmukhanand Hall at Sion in central Mumbai.
While, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said party workers from across the state will gather at the foundation day event, Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Uddhav Thackeray will also address his supporters in Worli, which is the Assembly seat of his son and former state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray.
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The Shiv Sena was founded in 1966 by cartoonist turned politician Bal Thackeray who championed the cause of the sons of the soil.
Notably, Eknath Shinde's rebellion brought down the Uddhav Thackeray government last year, following which the former became the chief minister on June 30 with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Uddhav faction is part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) also including the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.
It is to be noted that the Shiv Sena split took place last year in June after the rebellion of Shinde against then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and the party name and 'bow and arrow' symbol was allotted Shinde later. The Thackeray faction was christened Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).