Twenty Years After Parting Ways, Raj and Uddhav Thackeray Hint at Potential Reunion for 'Greater Good'

Mumbai: Twenty years after Raj Thackeray parted ways with the Shiv Sena to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the cousins – Raj and Uddhav Thackeray – are now discussing a potential reunion for the “greater good.” Both parties are currently at their weakest, and this move is seen as their final chance to revive their relevance in the state.

On Saturday, April 19, both leaders expressed their readiness to set aside their “minor differences” for the “larger interest of the people of Maharashtra.” In recent weeks, Raj Thackeray has intensified his agitation for the use of the Marathi language in the state.

His party first targeted banks, warning that failure to hire employees fluent in Marathi while operating in Maharashtra could lead to a “law and order” situation.

The initiative to reconcile came from Raj Thackeray, who, during a podcast with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar released today, said, “For me, the interest of Maharashtra is paramount… everything else is secondary. I am ready to work with Uddhav, but the question is whether he will be willing to work with me.”

The MNS chief emphasised that the differences between the two parties are proving costly for Maharashtra and the Marathi people.

Uddhav Thackeray responded swiftly at his party’s trade union event today, stating he, too, was ready to put aside their differences for the sake of the Marathi language and the people of Maharashtra, he told the media.

While Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena has been part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) since 2019, Raj Thackeray has not maintained a clear political stance in recent years. Before the 2019 elections, he criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, but later aligned with the saffron party. In the last assembly election, the MNS suffered a significant setback, with Raj’s son Amit Thackeray losing in his debut election.

Uddhav Thackeray said he is open to reuniting with his cousin, provided Raj does not “hobnob with those who are anti-Maharashtra.” Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut echoed this sentiment, stating that the party is ready to join hands with the MNS as long as Raj Thackeray does not align with those who lack Maharashtra’s interests at heart.

Strategic move to reclaim control over municipal corporations

The issue of Hindi language imposition, which first gained traction in Tamil Nadu, soon spread to Maharashtra when Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis defended the language.

On April 16, the Maharashtra School Education Department announced that Hindi would be compulsory as the third language in Marathi and English-medium schools for classes one to five. Currently, only Marathi and English are mandatory for grades one to four in these schools.

Defending the decision, Fadnavis said the central government was trying to build “bridges for communication” through its education policy. Raj Thackeray called this move an “assault” on Marathi linguistic identity.

In the recently concluded assembly elections, Uddhav’s Sena was decimated. Both his party and the MNS are currently fighting for their identity and relevance in the state. In the coming months, the local body elections, which have not taken place in any district since 2022, will be a critical battle for all parties.

The potential alliance between the two parties is viewed as a strategic move to reclaim control over municipal corporations, particularly the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the largest municipal body in the country.

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