Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena (IAST: Śhiva Sēnā) (lit. 'Army of Shivaji') is a right-wing Marathi regionalist and Hindu ultranationalist political party in India founded in 1966 by Bal Thackeray. 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.
Shiv Sena | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SHS |
| Leader | Eknath Shinde |
| Parliamentary Chairperson | Gajanan Kirtikar |
| Lok Sabha Leader | Rahul Shewale |
| Founder | Bal Thackeray |
| Founded | 19 June 1966 |
| Headquarters | Anand Ashram, Thane, Thane district, Maharashtra |
| Newspaper | Marmik Historical: Saamana |
| Student wing | Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS) |
| Youth wing | Yuva Sena |
| Women's wing | Shiv Sena Mahila Aghadi |
| Ideology | Marathi regionalism Conservatism Social conservatism Hindutva Hindu nationalism Economic nationalism Ultranationalism Right-wing populism |
| Political position | Right-wing to far-right |
| Colours | Saffron |
| ECI Status | State Party |
| Alliance |
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| Seats in Lok Sabha | 13 / 543 |
| Seats in Rajya Sabha | 1 / 245
39 / 288 (Maharashtra)
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| Seats in Maharashtra Legislative Council | 3 / 78 |
| Election symbol | |
| Party flag | |
| Website | |
| shivsena | |
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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. 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. 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, although it was quickly reformed. Shiv Sena was a coalition partner in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from 1998 until 2019, including the Vajpayee Government from 1998 to 2004 and the Narendra Modi Government from 2014 to 2019.
Under Uddhav Thackeray, Shiva Sena formed an alliance with its former rivals, the Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, signalling a significant departure from its traditional pro-Hindutva stance.
The party has had a powerful hold over the Hindi film industry. It has been described as an "extremist", "chauvinist", or "fascist" party. 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.
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.