Last-minute Tiger's roar on Afzal turned the tide for Sena

MUMBAI: A passer-by witnessing the Shiv Sena rally just two days before the municipal polls may have rubbed his eyes in disbelief and scratched his head in amazement.

Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray���s 30-minute speech at the rally lacked the usual punch, vigour and bullying that the leader is renowned for. It was bland, scattered and even boring. When the jaded-looking leader received a message from his daughter-in-law telling him that the speech was disappointing. The leader apologised publicly.

It was a different story the following day. Mr Thackeray launched a full scale attack on the Congress and publicly satirised President Abdul Kalam for his indecisiveness over Mohammed Afzal Guru���s hanging

Result? His tottering party bulldozed a confident Congress in Mumbai and other cities in the municipal polls and emerged triumphant much to everybody���s disbelief. The ageing Sena supremo seems to have once again proved that there is still enough fire left in that ageing body.

The Sena���s chief���s task this time was more challenging than ever. With health not getting better every passing day and two-key lieutenants ���Raj Thackeray and Narayan Rane ��� having deserted him the Sena chief finally had to take a plunge breaking his vow not to campaign.

Mr Thackeray had announced his retirement from ���electoral politics��� and pledged not to address election rallies in the last assembly by-election.

But a few months later he had to abandon his promise in order to help his son Uddhav. In the Sena chief, the younger Thackeray knew that he had a trump card and he used it at the right time.

Bal Thackeray didn���t disappoint his son and the party and packed a decisive punch a few hours before the polling. In his much-debated speech Thackeray even didn���t spare the president APJ Abdul Kalam for delaying the decision on Afzhal Guru. The Sena cadre knew this is exactly they were waiting for.

The weak-looking Sena suddenly was charged up. Veteran Sena leader Manohar Joshi on Friday admitted that Bal Thackeray���s one speech turned the tide. ���Sena supremo Bal Thackeray raising the issue of Mohammed Afzal Guru���s hanging in his last-day speech made an impact on the people,��� Mr Joshi acknowledged.

When asked whether Bal Thackeray coming out to campaign and the emotional appeal he made to voters had affected the results, he said, ���Balasaheb has always had a special place in the hearts of people and the issue he raised about Afzal Guru���s hanging has made an impact in these elections,��� Mr Joshi noted.

girish.kuber@timesgroup.com