Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday indicated willingness about a possible rapprochement between them. The two leaders said they were ready to keep aside their “disputes” for the larger interest of the people of Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray made the first move. During a podcast with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, the MNS chief said he was ready to keep aside the “minor disputes” between him and Uddhav. “For me, the interest of Maharashtra is bigger while everything else is secondary. I can keep aside our minor disputes,” Raj said. “I am ready to work with Uddhav (Thackeray), but the only question is whether he too is ready to work with me.” In response, Uddhav, while addressing members of the Sena (UBT)’s trade union later in the day, said he, too, was ready to put aside their disputes for the sake of the Marathi language and the people of Maharashtra. He, however, asked Raj not to “hobnob” with those who are “anti-Maharashtra”. “He (Raj) is a Thackeray. Uddhav too is a Thackeray. Their relationship is permanent… He (Raj) has said for the interest of Maharashtra, he is ready to keep aside all disputes. To this, Uddhav has said that he has no dispute nor any differences with Raj. He said even if there are disputes, it won’t take long to resolve them,” said Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut. Raut said that Raj should not deal with those who are “against the interest” of Maharashtra. “We had made it clear during the Lok Sabha elections that the enemies of Maharashtra should not be given any kind of help. Uddhav Thackeray had said that there are some powers which underestimate Maharashtra. They keep conspiring against the interest of Marathi manoos. Raj Thackeray should not mingle or sit alongside them… He should adopt this stand. If he is taking this stand, then we are ready to welcome it,” he said. Raut also alleged that the BJP wants to “finish off Thackerays’ identity”. “In such a situation, if both the Thackerays show positive intent to join hands, Maharashtra will welcome it. We are looking at this development in a positive way. Now since Uddhav Thackeray has made his intentions clear, we will await a response,” Raut said. The “positive” statements from Uddhav and Raj have taken political circles by surprise. However, a senior Sena (UBT) leader said, “The two have been in touch for coming together politically. This is not something that has come suddenly.” These reconciliatory remarks from Uddhav and Raj have come in the run-up to the coming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. The remarks by the two leaders also come against the backdrop of the introduction of Hindi as a mandatory third language for students between Classes 1 and 5 in Maharashtra, a move that the Opposition, including the Sena (UBT), MNS and Congress, has collectively opposed. The two Thackerays, who lead two of the state’s most aggressive parties, have had a tumultuous relationship. The fallout between the cousins, which led to Raj quitting the Shiv Sena and forming the MNS in 2006, was the result of personal rivalry, leadership ambitions, and internal power struggles within the undivided Sena in the early 2000s. Since the formation of the MNS, Raj and Uddhav have often taken swipes at each other. Their rivalry has often played out publicly, with both engaging in political rhetoric aimed at undermining each other’s credibility. Raj has accused Uddhav of diluting the Sena’s original principles, while Uddhav has portrayed the MNS as a splinter group lacking genuine political vision. During elections, both parties vie for similar voter bases, especially among Marathi speakers, leading to direct confrontations and efforts to sway each other’s supporters. However over the years, there have been several instances where even a public meeting between the two cousins has set off talks of an alliance and the cousins coming together. The most serious public attempt on this was made in 2014, after the BJP broke its alliance with the Shiv Sena in the run up to the Assembly elections that year. Raj and Uddhav were said to have shared phone calls about a possible joining of hands, but the MNS chief later complained that Uddhav turned cold to the proposal after the initial warmth. Uddhav’s hesitancy reportedly stemmed from his “reluctance” to see Raj as an equal and his “unwillingness” to give him political legitimacy on the big stage. Uddhav also remains wary of Raj’s stance on the BJP, which has fluctuated – from aligning with it at times to occasionally criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With the Sena having faced further fragmentation – especially as the Eknath Shinde-led Sena faction positions itself as the true inheritor of party founder and Uddhav’s father Bal Thackeray’s legacy – there has been a concern in the Sena (UBT) that a collaboration with Raj could diminish Uddhav’s voter base, which may be crucial in the current tightly contested electoral landscape.
