(This story originally appeared in on Sep 3, 2016)

Because the Gujaratis have traditionally voted for the BJP, the Sena has always had an uneasy equation with the community.

For the first time in the 40 years of its electoral history, the Shiv Sena has begun woo ing Gujaratis in a BMC elec tion, indicating a deepening rift with the BJP, its poll partner of over two decades. In a move that surprised many, the party has put up banners in Gujarati all over the suburban Ghatkopar, a community stronghold, to announce the state's new housing policy.Parallely, the party has begun scouting for Gujarati candidates for the next year's municipal elections.While the Sena has in the past attempted to reach out to non-Maharashtrians in the city, the move to woo Gujaratis has surprised even the party old-timers. Because the Gujaratis have traditionally voted for the BJP, the Sena has always had an uneasy equation with the community.In the run-up to the 2014 assembly polls, which the Sena and the BJP contested separately, Sena mouthpiece Saamna had questioned Gujarati community's commitment to Maharashtra and its excessive love for Narendra Modi. While Matoshree had pulled up Saamna editor and member of Parliament Sanjay Raut for the editorial and even imposed editorial supervision for a while, the Sena's discomfort with the community was for once out in the open.While a top Sena leader, who did not wish to be identified, said that with the alliance with BJP unlikely to go through, the party is preparing to reach out to all communities, it's not a secret that the saffron party will have to make a special effort to establish a rapport with the Gujaratis.According to conservative estimates, the 35 lakh-strong Gujarati community in Mumbai has 15 lakh eligible voters and can determine the outcome in at least 40 seats. Many political observers suggest that there would be polarisation of Gujarati and Marathi votes if the Sena and the BJP go their separate ways. In such a scenario, it will become crucial for the Sena to corner as many Gujarati votes as possible.The Sena, a source said, is likely to give tickets to over a dozen non-Marathi candidates, many of whom are expected to be Gujarati. The party is also activating its Gujarati cell and will soon announce a Gujarati face to head it.“Over the past year or so, we have worked with all communities. We have hosted programmes for the Marwadi community also. We are reaching out to everyone. The Sena is an inclusive party and people know that now. We are confident that we will be able to increase our voter base beyond the Marathi manoos,“ said a senior Sena legislator.Over the past one year, Sena legislator from Dindoshi Sunil Prabhu has hosted several events for the Marwadi and Gujarati communities in his constituency. Only last week, Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray visited the Dadar Parsi Colony to interact with local residents, most of whom have been either Congress or BJP voters.In the 2014 assembly polls, the Sena had fielded Uttam Agarwal from Borivali, Binay Jain from Malad, Kishore Jain from Pen and Suresh Jain from Jalgaon, all non-Maharashtrians. However, if the party gives a ticket to a Gujarati in the 2017 BMC election, it will be a new beginning.The only time the party has had a Gujarati candidate in BMC elections was when Rajul Patel was given a ticket in 2009.The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has, predictably, hit out at the Sena over the Gujarati banners in Ghatkopar. “We are wondering if this is Maharashtra's housing policy or Gujarat's. The Sena must decide who it is fighting for, Marathi manoos or Gujjus. This is nothing but vote bank politics and the Maharashtrians will see through this,“ said MNS leader Sandip Deshpande.The official line within the Sena, of course, is that the party is for all communities. “The Sena's core team has many non-Marathi people. Our politics is focused on development.The BJP is taking Gujaratis for granted. Many Gujarati, Jain and Marwari organisations have vowed to support the Sena and many have even joined the party,“ said a senior Sena leader, adding that Muslim groups too had backed the Sena in several areas.Sena legislator Sunil Prabhu said the party's focus has always been people and not the languages they speak. “People, be it Marathi or nonMarathi, trust the leadership of Uddhavji. Since there are many Marwadi and Gujarati residents in my constituency I recently hosted a festival for them. It was a grand success. I'm sure non-Maharashtrians will also vote for the Sena in BMC polls because of the work the Sena has done.“Rajendra Raut, the Sena zonal head from Ghatkopar, said the posters should not be seen through a political prism. “We have never been against any language or community.Just because we put up banners in Gujarati, some people have begun making all sorts of comments.Gujaratis are Indians too and the Sena works for them. Ghatkopar is not any one party's fiefdom,“ he said.