The erudite, urbane face of the Shiv Sena, Priyanka Chaturvedi, has not always been with the saffron party. A former national spokesperson of the Congress Party, she joined the Shiv Sena to do some committed work for Mumbai, the city of her residence.
Chaturvedi claims that the work done by the Shiv Sena for Mumbai, their future blueprint for the city, and the organizational capabilities of Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena chief and the former chief minister, convinced her to switch to the party.
Watch the complete interview of Priyanka Chaturvedi with Outlook here:
Today, when the Sena is faced with a rebellion that has given birth to two factions - one headed by Thackeray and the other by overnight star and incumbent chief minister Eknath Shinde - Chaturvedi firmly stands behind Thackeray.
“He is our leader and we know no other. Uddhav ji is the head of the Shiv Sena. The party under him will not split,” Chaturvedi told Outlook in an exclusive interview.
Sitting in her suburban office in Mumbai on a fiercely rainy day, Chaturvedi did not seem rattled by the upheaval her party was going through. “Solutions have to be found. That is the most important aspect at the moment. We have to strengthen Uddhav ji and work with a focus. This is not the time to lose hope,” she said.
According to her the Shiv Sainiks at the shakhas support Thackeray. However, they seem to have adopted a wait-and-watch approach. “The Shinde group is trying to upset the party workers and confuse them. But, the cadre knows the truth.”
The beleaguered Thackeray needs every show of hand in support as he battles hard to save what he claims is the 'real' Shiv Sena, over five decades after the party was founded in July 1966 by his father Balasaheb Thackeray. At a time when elected representatives are walking out of the Thackeray camp every day, support from a popular leader and Rajya Sabha MP like Chaturvedi might prove significant in compelling her constituents to stand with her, and thus with Thackeray.
“This party has given me so much. From the common ranks, I have risen to be an MP. This is what the Shiv Sena is about. Making the common man’s dreams come true,” said Chaturvedi.
