Uddhav-Raj Reunion: What Thackeray Cousins Joining 2 Senas Means For War Over Marathi Votes
Observers say Maharashtra's political landscape has dramatically changed with Eknath Shinde's rise, and the Thackeray cousins have been forced to reunite for their shared survival
It was an emotional and proud moment for thousands of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS workers as the Thackeray cousins— Uddhav and Raj —finally came together under one roof at Mumbai's iconic Worli Dome. The grand event, held to assert Marathi identity and unity, turned into much more than just a political programme.
Since the early noughties, the split between the Thackeray cousins had become symbolic of a divided Marathi vote—and a divided Shiv Sena family. On one side was Uddhav, carrying Balasaheb's legacy through the official (then undivided) Shiv Sena, and on the other, Raj Thackeray, the fiery orator who left the party in 2006 to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after feeling sidelined in the succession battle.
That split changed the course of Mumbai and Maharashtra politics. Both parties fought the same battles—for Marathi pride, for the rights of locals in India's biggest metropolis—but did so separately. And each time they did, the biggest winner was someone else: the BJP, the Congress, or lately, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction.
But now, in 2024, when Maharashtra's political landscape has dramatically changed with Shinde's rise and Uddhav's camp fighting for survival, observers say the Thackeray cousins sharing the stage feels like history repeating itself—but this time, to mend old wounds.
Senior leaders like Bala Nandgaonkar, Anil Parab, Sudhir Salvi, and Kishori Pednekar, all old-time Shiv Sainiks, could not hold back tears as they witnessed this moment. Many of them recalled how Balasaheb once tried to keep the family united but could not. To see Uddhav and Raj together, they said, again brought back the spirit of the old Sena—aggressive, unapologetic, and fiercely protective of the Marathi identity. Anil Parab called it a 'golden and historic moment" for the Marathi community.
Kishori Pednekar, emotional as always, used a beautiful metaphor: 'Just as water cannot be separated by hitting it with a stick, the blood flowing in Raj Thackeray's veins is the same that flows in Uddhav's." She reminded everyone how in 1993, when Mumbai burned, it was the Marathi people—united, fearless—who stood with Balasaheb and the Shiv Sena.
This time too, thousands of Shiv Sainiks and MNS workers flooded Worli Dome to witness what felt like more than just a political handshake—it was a family reunion. For old-time party workers, who stood by Balasaheb in good times and bad, this was the moment they had prayed for—a signal that the divided Marathi voice could once again speak in one, thunderous voice. Almost 20 years after their paths split, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have shared the stage again in an official, public event. While no formal alliance has been declared yet, many leaders from both camps believe it's now just a formality.
The symbolism is strong: if Balasaheb couldn't make them patch up back then, today's political reality has forced the cousins to come together for their shared survival—and to revive 'Brand Thackeray".
Critics who scoffed at the idea that the Thackeray brothers could bury their differences have fallen silent, at least for now. One thing is certain: if the cousins fight together, the constant splitting of Marathi votes that helped rivals gain an edge may stop. A consolidated Marathi vote bank is powerful. In Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, and parts of Western Maharashtra, this block can swing seats that have recently slipped away from both the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
This reunion is not just a challenge for the BJP, which hoped to corner Marathi votes through its alliance with Shinde's faction—it's a direct challenge to Eknath Shinde himself. Shinde's main pitch since he split from Uddhav has been that his faction is the 'real Shiv Sena" carrying forward Babasaheb's legacy. But with the actual Thackeray bloodline standing together on stage, claiming that same legacy, Shinde's narrative will be under examination.
In the last assembly elections, Shinde's faction outperformed Uddhav's Sena precisely because the Marathi vote was divided three ways—between Uddhav, Raj, and Shinde. If the cousins truly unite, that vote pool will consolidate, and the combined strength of Raj's oratory and street connect, plus Uddhav's loyal grassroots network, could pose a serious challenge to Shinde and the BJP.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
Raj, Uddhav reunite, UBT says ‘we'll stay together'
1 2 Mumbai: In an indication that the coming together of the estranged Thackeray cousins could go beyond the agitation against the govt resolutions on introducing Hindi from Class 1 in state schools and lead to a political tie-up for the coming civic elections, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray held a joint 'victory rally' to celebrate the state govt's withdrawal of its move. Sharing a common platform after a gap of nearly two decades, the two made categorical statements about their "unity": while Uddhav said "we have come together to stay together", Raj said bringing him and Uddhav together was something Balasaheb (Thackeray) and many others couldn't do, but it was accomplished by CM Devendra Fadnavis (through the third-language policy). Raj had resigned from all posts in the Shiv Sena in Nov 2005 and formed his own party, MNS, in 2006. Before that, Uddhav had been anointed working president of the Sena in 2003, an announcement that was made at a party conclave by Raj himself. A reconciliation between the two had appeared unlikely until recently when they spoke in one voice against the third-language policy and announced a joint morcha, which was turned into a 'victory rally' after the state govt scrapped its policy. On Saturday, Uddhav said until now BJP had adopted a "use and throw policy", but the two of them "have come together to throw out BJP." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai At the NSCI Dome, the venue for the Thackeray cousins' joint rally on Saturday that they had termed as "non-political", the arrival of the two on dais was aimed at political spectacle: they entered in the dark from opposite directions with spotlights focused on them and hugged each other; then, looking at the packed gathering, they greeted it with raised hands before proceeding to address functionaries and supporters of both Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS. Part of the crowd, in the front row, were cousins Aaditya and Amit Thackeray. The dais had only two chairs, for Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, and signalling camaraderie again, Raj, who spoke before Uddhav, referred to his elder cousin as "honourable," while Uddhav said people know about Raj's deeds and achievements and referred to him too with the prefix "honourable." "Anaji Pant [a minister in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's reign but here an indirect reference to Fadnavis] reduced the distance between us. Personally, I think our appearance together is more important than our speeches," Uddhav said. Referring to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' statement that hooliganism in the name of Marathi will not be tolerated, Uddhav Thackeray said, "If injustice is being done to Marathi and a Marathi manoos is being called a goon for fighting against that injustice, then we are goons." Raj warned the state govt on the language issue, saying, "The govt may rule in Vidhan Bhavan, but we rule the streets." "Although the government has withdrawn the decision to make Hindi compulsory, we all need to be careful. I have no idea what will happen in the future. However, I think that our unity for Marathi should remain. I express my hope, expectation and desire that Balasaheb Thackeray's dream will be realized once again in Maharashtra," he said. Raj said that Hindi is a 200-year-old language but the govt tried to impose it as a first step to see if Mumbai can be broken away from Maharashtra. "They should dare and touch Mumbai and try to break it away by laying hands on it. Just because we are peaceful doesn't mean we are impotent," he said. Addressing his supporters, he said, "Today you come together as Marathi. Now they will try to divide you on the basis of caste to avoid you staying together. " Raj also advised his supporters not to assault anyone without provocation, but to "slap" someone if they provoke but not to take a video of the attack. Uddhav called BJP "a factory of rumours" and said, "Every time something happens, they start fights. Will we (Uddhav and Raj) come together, will we stay together till the elections? Some say we are coming together for the municipal corporation (elections). But not just for the municipal corporation, we are coming together for Maharashtra. We will capture our power." Referring to deputy CM Eknath Shinde's 'Jai Gujarat' slogan at an event in Union home minister Amit Shah's presence in Pune, Uddhav said, "How helpless are you? The one who gives the slogan 'Jai Gujarat' cannot be a follower of Balasaheb Thackeray. Can the one who does not oppose imposition of Hindi language be a follower of Balasaheb? Can the one who says 'Jai Gujarat' in front of his master be a follower of Balasaheb's thoughts? So open your eyes now and see carefully. .. Because if you do not, there will never be a time to open them again, they will be closed forever." Shinde had said 'Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra', and then 'Jai Gujarat' at the function in Pune. Top netas of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) like NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and state Congress chief Harshawardhan Sakpal did not attend the rally. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and MLA Jitendra Awhad and Congress's Bhalchandra Mungekar were present along with netas from other parties like Peasants and Workers Party's (PWP) Jayant Patil, Communist Party of India's (CPI) Prakash Reddy and Rashtriya Samaj Party's (RSP) Mahadev Jankar. All of them sat in the audience including Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut till they were called on to the dais at the end of the rally. After the rally, the Thackerays posed for a family photo, with Uddhav's wife Rashmi and Raj's wife Sharmila coming on to the dais. Aaditya and Amit Thackeray also arrived on stage and held hands. Supriya Sule got Aaditya and Amit on to the dais and made them stand next to Raj and Uddhav.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
BJP slams Uddhav Thackeray over remarks on Patel community in Gujarat
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat on Saturday (July 5, 2025) hit back at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray for his claims that the saffron party 'instigated' the Patel community and isolated it from others to secure electoral victories in the state. Gujarat BJP spokesperson Dr. Rutvij Patel dismissed Mr. Thackeray's comments, stating that the Sena leader was unaware of Gujarat's political dynamics. 'Uddhav Thackeray does not know anything about Gujarat. Here, the BJP and the Patidar community (Patels) are two sides of the same coin. The BJP has given Gujarat three Patidar chief ministers and several state unit presidents,' Mr. Patel said. He further pointed out that current Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and multiple ministers in the state government belong to the Patidar community. 'Mr. Thackeray should have done his homework before making such baseless remarks,' he added. Another BJP spokesperson, Hitendra Patel, accused Mr. Thackeray of adopting the 'language of Congress' and attempting to create divisions. 'The Patidar community played a crucial role in the BJP's rise in Gujarat, and the party has equally contributed to the community's progress. Four state BJP presidents and three chief ministers—Keshubhai Patel, Anandiben Patel, and Bhupendra Patel—were from the Patidar community,' he said. 'It does not befit Mr. Thackeray to speak like Congress, which thrives on dividing people along caste and religious lines,' Mr. Hitendra Patel added. Mr. Thackeray's remarks came during a rally in Mumbai celebrating the Maharashtra government's decision to withdraw two orders introducing Hindi in state schools from Class 1. He alleged that the BJP 'instigated' the Patels in Gujarat ahead of the 2017 assembly polls to polarize voters. 'What did they do in Gujarat? The atmosphere was such that Patels would defeat the BJP. But they provoked the Patel community, isolated them, and mobilized everyone else to win,' Mr. Thackeray claimed. He further accused the BJP of employing similar tactics in Haryana and Maharashtra, alleging that the party incited Jats and Marathas, respectively, to consolidate other communities in its favor.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Why is Maharashtra debating over Hindi?
The story so far: The linguistic debate in Maharashtra continues days after the Maharashtra government withdrew two orders introducing Hindi as the third language in primary education across Marathi and English medium State Board schools. The government has appointed a committee under renowned economist Dr. Narendra Jadhav to study the three-language policy. What is the language debate in Maharashtra? On April 16, the Maharashtra government issued an order making Hindi mandatory as the third language in all English and Marathi medium schools of the State Board in Maharashtra. The government said that it was as per the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. 'At present, two languages are being taught from Grade 1 to Grade 4 in all the English and Marathi medium schools in the State. As per the State Education Framework, 2024, Hindi will be mandatory as the third language in all the English and Marathi medium schools from Grade 1 to Grade 5,' the order stated. Till now, third language was introduced only in Grade 5 in English and Marathi medium State Board schools. The other medium schools already have a three-language policy in primary education. What was the reaction? There was widespread opposition to the government's decision on two grounds — first, that a third language should not be imposed in primary school from Grade 1 to Grade 5. The second ground was about the imposition of Hindi. Regional linguistic groups, academics, civil society members, and prominent literary figures raised their voice against the move which was dubbed as an effort to 'force Hindi', and a move towards 'cultural hegemony'. The Maharashtra government's own language committee wrote to the government seeking its immediate revocation. Experts argued that the NEP, 2020 focussed on R1 and R2, which is the mother-tongue, and an additional second language for primary education. They said that children should not be burdened with learning three languages in primary school. 'Why should there be an imposition of Hindi? This is a concerted effort for cultural hegemony. This is in line with the RSS' plan of 'Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan'. In Maharashtra, the Marathi manoos will stand for his linguistic, cultural identity. This is a historic moment since the movement for the reorganisation of States on linguistic basis. The entire State has stood against the government's imposition of Hindi,' Deepak Pawar of Marathi Abhyas Kendra said. How did the government respond? After a severe backlash, Maharashtra education minister Dada Bhuse promised to revise the government resolution (GR). 'Hindi will not be mandatory,' he announced. On June 17, the government revised the GR, making Hindi a 'general' third language in schools. It stated that the students had the option to learn any other Indian language as the third language, but that it was mandatory for at least 20 students to come together to make the demand. 'The government will make a teacher available or will make provision for online learning if at least 20 students come together to learn any other Indian language apart from Hindi,' the revised GR stated. Also read:Language of unity: On Maharashtra and the issue of Hindi However, this drew further backlash as academics and regional linguistic political parties called it an effort to impose Hindi through the backdoor. 'The whole exercise of the meeting of the steering committee was carried out in secrecy by the government. The language committee of the government itself was never consulted on the move. The decision is illogical. It has no scientific backing by educationists, child psychologists. It has been taken without any consultation with the stakeholders and experts. At a time when the Marathi culture and language is not being respected by its own government, this is an assault on the linguistic identity of the State,' said Laxmikant Deshmukh, head of Maharashtra's language committee. What about political realignments? The issue provided a fillip to Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which counts 'Marathi asmita' or linguistic chauvinism as its core ideology. 'We are Hindus, not Hindis,' he said. It paved the path for the reunification of the Thackeray cousins after two decades. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray joined hands against the government's move, even holding a joint rally. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar too openly expressed his displeasure with the government's decision and said that Hindi should not be imposed till Grade 4. This has led to an unease within the Mahayuti with Eknath Shinde not wanting to be seen as standing against the cause. In the face of upcoming local body elections, the language debate has led to changed political dynamics. What is the way ahead? The government has announced the scrapping of the two controversial GRs issued on April 16 and June 17. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee under Dr. Narendra Jadhav to look into the three-language policy, and said the government will accept his report. Academics have raised questions on Dr. Jadhav's expertise in school education, and have demanded the scrapping of the committee as well as the decision to impose the three-language policy in primary education. Opposition parties have said the government should scrap the three-language policy altogether. 'We will not accept the three-language policy,' Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena UBT leader, said.
