Uddhav and Raj Thackeray reunion on the cards?
As Maharashtra watched, one Thackeray broke away while the other chose to stay and steer the Sena through stormy waters
NEW DELHI: In what was a defining moment for Maharashtra politics, the winter of 2005 witnessed a rift that split not just a party but a powerful political family. As Raj Thackeray formally announced his resignation from Shiv Sena — the party once helmed by his uncle and political idol Bal Thackeray — it sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape.
According to a TOI article, at a packed press conference held at Shivaji Park Gymkhana — barely metres from the very ground where Balasaheb founded the Sena in 1966 — Raj laid bare his disappointment. Choked with emotion, he told reporters that all he ever asked for from ‘Matoshree’ was respect. “All I got in return was humiliation,” he said, visibly hurt. “I wouldn’t wish a day like this even on my worst enemy.”
Outside the venue, a massive crowd of supporters, drums in hand, gathered to show solidarity. Some compared it to a political rally, others to a family rebellion. Raj addressed them from the terrace, promising to take Balasaheb’s dream of a progressive Maharashtra forward through a new party. He clarified he wasn’t looking to split the Sena, even though many MPs, MLAs, and corporators had extended their support to him after he quit all Sena posts on November 27.
Raj’s public break with the party followed months of inner churn, going back to the early 2000s when murmurs of a succession tussle first emerged. It was, in fact, way back in January 2002 that this newspaper first broke the story of a growing cold war between the cousins. While Bal Thackeray had anointed Uddhav as executive president, Raj — then a popular youth leader — felt increasingly sidelined.
Raj’s public break with the party followed months of inner churn, going back to the early 2000s when murmurs of a succession tussle first emerged. It was, in fact, way back in January 2002 that this newspaper first broke the story of a growing cold war between the cousins. While Bal Thackeray had anointed Uddhav as executive president, Raj — then a popular youth leader — felt increasingly sidelined.
A little over a month after stepping down from key party roles, Raj made it official: he was walking away. The decision followed another jolt to the Sena — the exit of former CM Narayan Rane earlier that year, also over differences with Uddhav.