Nearly 20 years after they parted ways over leadership issue in the then Bal Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the Thackeray cousins - Uddhav and Raj - came together on a public platform on Saturday for the cause of Marathi bhasha and Marathi Manoos, in what marked the beginning of a new Thackeray era in Maharashtra politics.
Emotions flowed as the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray had a reunion on the stage of a joint rally organised at the Dome in Sardar Vallabhbhai Stadium in the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) complex in Worli in south Mumbai.
As the two cousins - who had grown up together but were separated for two decades for political reasons - walked onto the stage, Uddhav (64) walked toward Raj (57) and shared a hug in a public display of reunion after two decades. Both of them raised their fists in the air, evoking thunderous applause from their supporters who had turned out in large numbers.
Much to the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS workers’ joy, Uddhav and Raj gave a clear indication of a political alliance between their parties for the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
Raj began his speech by paying a back-handed compliment to chief minister Devevendra Fadnavis for bringing him and Uddhav together. “After 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What late Bal Thackeray could not do, Fadnavis has done. It’s because of Fadnavis, we are together here today on the same dais,” he said. What Raj meant was that it was the Devendra Fadnavis Government’s controversial decision to declare Hindi as the “third language” for the 1st to 5th standard students in Marathi and English medium schools in the State that brought them together on the same platform.
Uddhav and Raj, it may be recalled, had announced a joint protest against the “Hindi third language” issue, but they converted their protest into a joint “victory rally” after Fadnavis revoked its two resolutions declaring Hindi as a “third language” for the 1st to 5th standard students.
Expressing his happiness over his re-union with Raj, Uddhav said: “One thing is clear - that we have removed the distance between us. We have come together to stay together”.Beginning his speech on a lighter note, Uddhav said: “After so many years, Raj and I met on a stage. The problem is, he called me ‘respected Uddhav Thackeray’. So I will also say, ‘respected Raj Thackeray”.
Taking a dig at the ruling BJP, Raj said: “”You may have power in the Vidhan Bhawan, we have power on the streets”.
Uddhav said he and Raj together would not only capture power in BMC but also in Maharashtra. Both Uddhav and Raj made it clear that there will be no compromise on Marathi language and slammed the three-language policy under the New Education Policy.
Though the re-union of the Thackeray came as a big boost to the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Congress - which is the key constituent in the MVA - was conspicuous by its absence at the Uddhav-Raj rally. Several Opposition leaders, including NCP-SP MP and Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, were present at the rally. “Whether someone is Gujarati or from another state, it is essential that they must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don’t speak Marathi”.
“I want to know what the third language is for people in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Today, in the High Courts and the Supreme Court, everything is in English. The insistence on children from the first grade learning Hindi is not there in any other state. Why does it happen only in Maharashtra?
The coming together of Uddhav and Raj is extremely significant for the Shiv Sena (UBT). The reunion between the two Thackeray has taken place in the run-up to the birth centenary of late Balasaheb Thackeray which falls in 2026.
It may be recalled that three months after he rebelled against Uddhav’s leadership and quit the united Shiv Sena on December 18, 2005, Raj founded the MNS on March 9, 2006. After that the MNS contested five to six elections independently. It is another matter that after initial success, the MNS did not make much of a headway in Maharashtra politics.
More than six and half years after he had rebelled against his elder cousin and walked out of the Sena and subsequently founded the MNS , Raj had on July 16, 2012 made the first move to improve his strained relations with Uddhav, by visiting the latter at the Lilavati hospital, where the latter subsequently underwent an angioplasty for removal of three major blockages in his coronary arteries.
Raj had driven back Uddhav to “Matoshri” from Lilavati Hospital on that occasion. Raj had also met ailing Thackeray at”Matoshri” - in the presence of Uddhav - at least on three occasions a fortnight ahead of the Sena patriarch’s death on November 17, 2012.
Similarly, Uddhav had tried to reach out Raj in the run-up to the recent Assembly polls, when the latter fell ill and had to cancel his electioneering for some days. Uddhav had visited Raj’s daughter Urvashi at Hinduja Hospital on November 2, 2014 when the latter was admitted there for injuries sustained in a road mishap.
Raj himself made a disclosure on October 9 2014, six days ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, that Uddhav had telephoned him to forge a pre-poll alliance between the MNs and Sena, but the initiative did not materialise. Not surprisingly, both Raj and Uddhav did not speak against each other at their public rallies held in the run-up to the State Assembly polls held in October-November 2024.
The speculation about the possible re-union started in April this year after Raj -- participating in a podcast by senior filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar -- said: “For me, the interest of Maharashtra is bigger and everything else is secondary before it. For that I can set aside minor disputes and I’m ready to work with Uddhav. Only question if he too is ready for it”.
Responding positively to the expression of interest shown by Raj, Uddhav -- speaking at a function organised by Shiv Sena (UBT)-run trade union Bhartiya Kamgar Sena --- said on Saturday : “There were no differences between us… ... I am prepared to set aside minor differences in the overall interests of the people of Maharashtra”.
