Mumbai: History has repeated itself after 24 years in election politics: In 1995 the BJP denied the Assembly ticket to sitting MLA Wamanrao Parab under pressure from the Shiv Sena, which then supported Kirit Somaiya as the candidate. Now, in 2019, the BJP has denied the ticket to its two-time MP Somaiya from North East Mumbai.
Parab won the Mulund seat in 1990 by defeating Congress’s stalwart Deena Bama Patil. He would have won the election again in 1995, but the BJP denied him a ticket after opposition from the Shiv Sena and instead awarded the ticket to Kirit Somaiya and the Shiv Sena supported Somaiya in 1995.
The reason why the Sena opposed Parab dates back to 1977, when clashes occurred between the two parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party was then Bharatiya Jana Sangh. There was a massive rally of Jayprakash Narayan, leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh at Shivaji Park and after the rally, the Jana Sangh workers attacked Sena Bhavan. During the clashes, Wamanrao Parab removed Shiv Sena’s saffron flag from the Sena Bhavan.
Parab was loyal to the BJP and a prominent leader from the time of Jana Sangh. When the Assembly election was announced, the BJP and Shiv Sena were in alliance. The BJP was considering fielding Parab from Mulund. However, all the local Shiv Sainiks opposed his name.
The BJP bowed down to the Shiv Sena’s opposition and fielded Somaiya from Mulund as the
alliance candidate. The Shiv Sena also supported him.
The same Shiv Sena in 2019 opposed the same Kirit Somaiya. The BJP again bowed down to opposition from the Sena and so history was repeated.
