New Thackerays In Maharashtra Politics? Uddhav, Shinde's Dussehra Rallies Give A Hint
The Dussehra rally of Eknath Shinde at Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Ground not only manifested the split in the Shiv Sena but in the Thackeray family as well.
Mumbai: The Dussehra rallies organised by the two rival factions of the Shiv Sena have been a topic of discussion not only over the size of the crowd but also because of the names who participated in these rallies. Their participation has led to speculation that a few more members of the Thackeray clan will join politics shortly. So far, four members of the family are active in Maharashtra politics.
It is difficult to imagine Maharashtra politics without Thackerays. For the last seven decades, this family has been a part of the state’s socio-political discourse. After India became independent, Prabodhankar Thackeray joined Samyukta Maharashtra Agitation to protest against a proposal to make Bombay a union territory.
His son Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena to fight for jobs for local Marathi youth. Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav took over the reins of the party a few years before his death. Uddhav’s son Aditya is the fourth generation of Thackerays in politics. Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj runs his party named Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Raj’s son Amit too has become active in politics recently.
The rally of Eknath Shinde at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Ground not only manifested the split in the Shiv Sena but in the Thackeray family as well.
Shinde shared the stage with Bal Thackeray’s daughter-in-law Smitha Thackeray, son Jaidev Thackeray and grandson Nihar Thackeray. None of them has officially joined politics, but their presence on a political stage has become a matter of discussion in the political corridors.
Especially, Smitha Thackeray’s name has puzzled many. Is she attempting a comeback into politics? Smitha enjoyed substantial clout in the Shiv Sena in the 90s when Bal Thackeray held the reins of the party. She played a role in the party’s decision-making. It is said that it was because of Smitha’s mediation that Narayan Rane’s name was chosen as the successor of Manohar Joshi for the chief minister’s post in 1999.
Rane returned the favour by allotting a plot for her NGO Mukti Foundation in the plush Juhu area of western Mumbai. She was feared and respected in the film industry as well by virtue of being Shiv Sena supremo’s daughter-in-law. Although Smitha produced just one Hindi movie, Haseena Maan Jayegi, she was appointed as the president of the Indian Motion Pictures Association (IMPA) in 2001.
Everything was going well for her till 2004 when Uddhav Thackeray took over the reins of the Shiv Sena as its executive president. Uddhav made his circle of confidantes and advisers, and old-timers felt ignored and insignificant in the party.
It was during this time that stalwarts like Narayan Rane & Raj Thackeray quit Shiv Sena. Smitha Thackeray too couldn’t sustain for long. Although Smitha and Jaydev divorced, she continued to stay in Matoshree and used “Thackeray” as her surname. However, as Uddhav grew more and more assertive, she left Matosri.
The rally of Uddhav Thackeray at Shivaji Park too had elements of astonishment. The banners and posters displayed around Shivaji Park carried pictures of Uddhav’s wife Rashmi and his other son, Tejas. They were present at the rally. Both of them haven’t joined the party officially. Although Tejas has so far maintained a low profile, Rashmi has been on news quite a few times.
Earlier this year when Uddhav Thackeray was facing health issues and underwent surgery, the political pundits began predicting that he will resign as the chief minister and Rashmi will succeed him. After the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections, it was Rashmi who convinced Uddhav to accept the chief minister’s post. After Uddhav became the CM, Rashmi was appointed as editor-in-chief of the party’s mouthpiece, Saamana. Although she is never seen making political statements, she keenly keeps a tab on political developments in the state.
The BMC elections are going to be held shortly and don’t be surprised to see a few more Thackerays campaigning for votes this time. Both the factions of the Shiv Sena are likely to have Thackerays on their side.
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