The return of the native

Thackeray cousins attempt to once again invoke identity politics to regain electoral relevance

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Estranged Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, came together at a rally in Mumbai on Saturday that was organised to celebrate the Opposition’s successful pushback against the Mahayuti government's attempt to introduce Hindi in primary classes in Maharashtra and promised to revive the nativist political plank on which Bal Thackeray had founded the Shiv Sena in 1966.

While Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) hinted at an alliance with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the upcoming local bodies election in the state, the latter was silent on the matter. The leadership of the BJP-led Mahayuti described Uddhav Thackeray as “greedy for power” but spared Raj Thackeray of any criticism, suggesting that the political churn in the state is not yet over.