Uddhav-Raj Rally For Marathi On July 6: What Does Thackeray Reunion Mean For Mumbai, Maharashtra?

Uddhav-Raj Thackeray July 6 joint rally for Marathi, against Hindi imposition: Thackerays are brand in Maharashtra and a reunion could change political scenario for Mumbai polls

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Uddhav-Raj Thackeray reunion buzz is growing louder with the July 5 rally announcement. (News18 Lokmat File)

Uddhav-Raj Thackeray joint rally on July 6: After years of discord, Maharashtra’s Thackerays — Uddhav and Raj — are set to hold a joint protest rally on July 6 to to protect Marathi and oppose what they call the forced imposition of Hindi in state schools, a claim the  CM Devendra Fadnavis-led government has refuted.

Sanjay Raut, senior leader from the Uddhav Thackeray camp, made the announcement on social media, tagging Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra CM Fadnavis.

Thackerays are a brand in Maharashtra politics and their unity could considerably change the scenario ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) or Mumbai civic elections at the end of the year. But is a reunion easy?

What does a reunion mean for the Thackerays, Uddhav’s Sena UBT & Raj’s MNS?

Unhappy with Uddhav being made in charge of the Shiv Sena by Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Raj formed his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in March 2006. The MNS showed promised winning 13 assembly seats in 2009, but the party’s graph dropped, with the MNS scoring a duck in the assembly elections last year. Raj tried several political combinations over the past 10 years. The MNS chief’s decision to contest solo in the 2024 assembly elections, too, backfired, as the party’s vote share dropped from 6 per cent to 1 per cent. So much so that his son, Amit, too couldn’t win his debut election. While his charm as a speaker remains intact, it doesn’t translate into votes, say analysts.

Uddhav didn’t have it easy either. After fighting his cousin, Raj, and falling out with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally for decades, Uddhav managed to patch together an alliance with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), called the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to become the CM in 2019. However, the Shiv Sena was split vertically by Eknath Shinde in 2022, leading to the fall of the MVA government. Shinde, who claimed to be the upholder of Thackeray legacy, then went on to become the CM, forming a government with the BJP. Shinde won the symbol, was legally called the Shiv Sena and even managed an impressive score in the 2024 assembly elections, joining the BJP government as a deputy CM, along with Ajit Pawar, the head of another split party, NCP. Uddhav, meanwhile, was forced to form Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) with the very few who didn’t desert him.

The Sena UBT won 20 assembly seats, half of which were in Mumbai. The results showed that the party had limited presence in the rest of Maharashtra. On the other hand, Raj has been frequently meeting Shinde and Fadnavis.

Analysts say the two parties are facing an existential crisis and the two seem to be aware of it.

In a recent podcast with actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar, the MNS chief said that for the larger good of Maharashtra, he was willing to forget “insignificant fights" with Uddhav. To this, Uddhav responded saying that he was willing to let go of their small differences if Raj was willing not to hobnob with Mahayuti leaders whom he considers “anti-Maharashtra".

A reunion, if materialised, could actually help the two stay politically relevant in Maharashtra and their parties survive.

What does Uddhav-Raj Thackeray reunion mean for Maharashtra?

Balasaheb Thackeray had formed the Shiv Sena in 1966 on the plank of Hindutva, Marathi manoos and sons of the soil. Shinde left the party claiming that Uddhav-led Sena had compromised on the ideals. With Marathi in schools as an ideal issue, the ground is ripe for Thackerays to bring back the ‘Marathi First’ motto.

While the BJP is strong in its nationalist Hindutva ideas and is winning polls, the Marathi manoos idea has been sidelined, with only the MNS raising it in bits and spurts over shopkeepers not speaking the language or not using Marathi signboards.

Earlier this month, News18 had reported on a survey—Vote Vibe— which showed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to lead the race, but the Sena UBT is far from out, riding on a wave of emotional connect, legacy politics, and discontent against the current civic setup. Another trend observed in the survey was the emotional weight carried by the Thackeray surname. Uddhav’s son Aaditya’s consistent outreach and Uddhav’s connect with the grassroots have kept their faction politically relevant.

Sena UBT, though weakened after the split, continues to draw support in Marathi heartland pockets where Thackeray’s image looms large.

The survey also showed that legal battle aside, the Thackeray name remains attached with the Sena. Their reunion could spell trouble for Shinde, who, according to several reports, felt cornered after being made the deputy CM, that, too, along with Ajit Pawar. Shinde even met Raj, with murmurs that it was related to an alliance for the upcoming civic body polls in Maharashtra.

The reunion of the Thackerays could bring back the Marathi manoos agenda.

What does Uddhav-Raj Thackeray reunion mean for Mumbai?

The Shiv Sena has been ruling the BMC, the richest civic body in the country, since 1997. But with the Shinde rebellion and many ex-corporators leaving Uddhav, it would be tough to retain the prestigious civic body. Raj faces a similar situation in the Nashik Municipal Corporation which has been under his party since 2012. If the cousins come together, and Marathis vote for the alliance, there is a strong chance of Sena UBT retaining the BMC and possibly the MNS getting good traction in other civic bodies.

The idea of Uddhav and Raj joining hands got surprising support among voters, according to the survey. Many believe a united Thackeray front could re-energise the Shiv Sena brand and reclaim its central space in Mumbai politics. “Mumbai belongs to Balasaheb. His family still speaks our language," said Vinay Pawar, a 38-year-old resident of Dadar.

The survey findings revealed a growing sense of dissatisfaction among Mumbaikars—not just with the prolonged absence of elected corporators, but also with the way administrators have run the show for over two years. Many citizens feel ignored, voiceless, and stuck with an inefficient civic structure. “There’s no one to hold accountable. The roads are broken, the drains are clogged, and nobody is answerable," said Rukmini Sharma, a schoolteacher from Kurla. “We miss the days when we could approach our corporators directly."

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At many places in Mumbai, like Goregaon in western suburbs and Girgaon in South Mumbai, supporters of the Thackerays had put a banner urging them to reunite for betterment of ‘Marathi manoos’.

Will they? Sena UBT mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, while quoting Uddhav Thackeray with a picture of Uddhav-Raj from undivided Sena, had answered this question: “What is there is in the heart of Marathi manoos, it will happen."

About the Author

Manjiri Joshi

At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ...Read More

At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ... Read More

Location :
Mumbai, India, India

First Published:
June 27, 2025, 16:55 IST