What has politics in Maharashtra got to do with Mumbai's Shivaji Park? A lot, historians and political analysts say.
Popularly known for being a cradle of Indian cricket – this is where batting legend Sachin Tendulkar cut his teeth in the game, the sprawling playground in the heart of Mumbai has been a rallying centre for many social and political movements that have shaped the state's history over the past century.
For Shiv Sena, though, it has a special place. Its founder late Bal Thackeray held his first political rally here on the day of Dussehra 56 years ago, an event that would recur every year thereafter. Thackeray would use these rallies to spell out the party's political agenda from time to time, hit out at his rivals, and offer motivational speeches to his followers, said veteran Sena leader and MP Gajanan Kirtikar.
