Mumbai, Jan. 24 -- "If you understand what kind of a party the Shiv Sena is, and if you have limited ambition, you can survive in it," former Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi once told the media after leaving office. Joshi, who became the first-ever CM of the Shiv Sena-BJP combine in 1995 was summarily sacked by his boss Bal Thackeray after only three years in the job, and replaced by Narayan Rane.

Joshi, in keeping with his view on ambition, chose to remain with the party until his death in 2024.

Eknath Shinde, unfettered by any such notion of modesty, not only split Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena, taking over the party's name and symbol in 2022, but has since also staked claim to his legacy.

On Friday, the day marking the start of...