Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are now one. The people of Uddhav’s Shiv Sena and Raj’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are now one. The reason for this is that election of BMC, in which about Rs 74 thousand crores are at stake on the victory of the two brothers who have political ambitions because this is the annual budget of BMC. The news of the union of the two brothers has made headlines not only in Maharashtra but also in the country and abroad. But similar headlines were also included on the front pages of newspapers, cover stories of magazines and in every debate on TV channels about 20 years ago when Raj Thackeray had announced his separation from Shiv Sena and formation of MNS.
The real story of the rift between Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray!
Even then this news was presented only as a political ambition of Raj Thackeray, which was an incomplete truth. Because in all truth it was the name of that important character of the family, without naming whom Raj Thackeray had told everything. After all, what was the real story of the gap that developed between Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, who was the character who played an important role in separating the two brothers and how this gap that developed in the family was first filled within the family itself, which brought both the brothers together on one platform?
Raj Thackeray left Shiv Sena on 27 November 2005
On 27 November 2005, thousands of people gathered outside Raj Thackeray’s house. Raj Thackeray grabbed the mike and said, “My quarrel is not with my Vitthal but with the priests around him. There are some people who do not understand the ABC of politics. That is why I am resigning from the post of Shiv Sena leader. Balasaheb Thackeray was, is and will be my God.”
Then another date came, 18 December 2005. 36 year old Raj Thackeray was holding a press conference at Shivaji Park Gymkhana. He said, “I had only asked for respect, but all I got in return was contempt and insult.” With this statement, Raj Thackeray ended his relations with Shiv Sena formed by Bal Thackeray and started on the path of forming a new party.
But this different path had started from the same date on which Raj Thackeray had entered politics. That was the year 1989, when Raj Thackeray started taking interest in Shiv Sena politics. In the same year, he was made the president of Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the youth wing of Shiv Sena. But this was also the same year when a daughter-in-law came to Bal Thackeray’s house.
Rashmi Thackeray used to be Rashmi Patankar
Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray was once Rashmi Patankar. Used to work on contract in LIC. Raj Thackeray’s family also played an important role in changing Rashmi from Rashmi Patankar to Rashmi Thackeray. Because another girl from the Thackeray family worked in LIC, her name was Jaywanti Thackeray.
How did Jaywanti and Rashmi Patankar become friends?
Jaywanti was the daughter of Bala Saheb Thackeray’s elder brother Shrikant Thackeray and real sister of Raj Thackeray. Jaywanti and Rashmi became friends while working. Coming and going home also happened. During this time, Jaywanti introduced her friend Rashmi to her cousin Uddhav Thackeray, who used to be a photographer at that time. Used to run his own advertising agency. Their friendship blossomed and on 13 December 1989, Uddhav Thackeray married Rashmi Patankar.
There was a lot going on inside the family!
Time passed. Raj Thackeray remained active in politics and Uddhav Thackeray remained busy in his photography and advertising agency. Bal Thackeray was undoubtedly present at the top of the family. There was no visible problem anywhere. But all this was superficial only. There were a lot of things going on inside the family, news of which had started coming out but no one was talking about it. There were some valid reasons for this, to understand which you will have to understand Bal Thackeray and his entire family.
Know Bal Thackeray’s family
Bal Thackeray had a total of two brothers and 6 sisters. Right now we talk only about two brothers. Of Bal Thackeray and his brother Shrikant Thackeray. Shrikant Thackeray has two sons Raj Thackeray and Ramesh Thackeray. Raj Thackeray’s wife’s name is Sharmila Thackeray. Bal Thackeray’s sons are Bindu Madhav, Jaidev and Uddhav. Bindu Madhav died in a road accident on 20 April 1996. His wife Madhavi Thackeray, who had no interest in politics. Jaidev’s wife’s name is Smita Thackeray, who earlier used to interfere in family and politics. Jaidev never got along well with his family and especially with Bal Thackeray, so he separated. Jaidev also separated from his wife. But wife Smita Thackeray lived in Matoshree only.
The matter of the house is out!
When Bal Thackeray’s wife Meenatai died in September 1995, Rashmi Thackeray took up the responsibility of taking care of Bal Thackeray. During that time, Smita Thackeray was doing well in Shiv Sena and she used to interfere in the party too. Between 1995 and 1999, Shiv Sena was in power in Maharashtra, at that time Smita Thackeray was in control of the government. Raj Thackeray’s wife Sharmila Thackeray was also coming in the way of Rashmi Thackeray. Everyone inside the house was aware that Rashmi does not get along with Sharmila or Smita. But this thing could not come out of the house. At last the day came when the matter of the house came out.
That date was 30 January 2003. On that day there was a Shiv Sena convention in Mahabaleshwar. Along with Bal Thackeray, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray were also present on the stage. Shiv Sainiks started considering Raj Thackeray as the natural successor, because Raj had been working with Bal Thackeray for more than a decade. At the same time, some people considered Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav as his successor, because Uddhav was a son. However, when BMC elections were held in the year 2002, the entire responsibility of that election campaign was with Uddhav Thackeray, who stopped working in his ad agency, kept the photography camera in the cupboard and started learning the tricks of politics with his father Bala Saheb.
How did Uddhav Thackeray’s interest in politics arise?
Family members say that Uddhav’s interest in politics was aroused by his wife Rashmi Thackeray, who by then had achieved a different position in the family by dedicating herself to Bala Saheb’s care after his ill health. Uddhav Thackeray, who entered politics on the wish of his wife, was decided by his father Bal Thackeray to make him the working president of Shiv Sena on 30 January 2003. To ensure that there is no rebellion in the party, Bal Thackeray asked Raj Thackeray to declare Uddhav as the working president of the party. Same thing happened also. Raj Thackeray proposed Uddhav’s name, which was unanimously accepted.
When Raj Thackeray accepted the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray
However, Raj Thackeray was also given a place in the National Executive Committee which was announced after that meeting. Apart from Bal Thackeray, the then Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, Sudhir Joshi, Madhukar Sarpotdar, Liladhar Dake, Subhash Desai, Satish Pradhan, Dattaji Nalwade, Pramod Navalkar and Diwakar Raote along with cousins ​​Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray were also given place in that National Executive. At that time Raj Thackeray had no other option. Even under compulsion, he too had to accept the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray.
But everything changed on November 27, 2005. Raj Thackeray announced to leave the party that day. In the presence of thousands of supporters, Raj Thackeray gave an emotional speech and said, “There are some people who do not understand the ABC of politics. That is why I am resigning from the post of Shiv Sena leader.”
After this, December 15, 2005 was the date when Raj Thackeray met Bal Thackeray. But the matter did not work out and Raj Thackeray said something in his press conference on December 18, which brought out the family feud more than the party.
Raj Thackeray said, “I had only asked for respect, but in return I got only contempt and insult.” Raj Thackeray did not take anyone’s name in his statement, but the indication was clear that all was not well within the family, the party was an afterthought.
Raj Thackeray formed his party on 9 March 2006
After this, on March 9, 2006, Raj Thackeray formed his new party in Shivaji Park and named it Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. This party, formed in the name of Marathi Manush, got partial success in the beginning, but gradually Raj Thackeray and his party started weakening in the politics of Maharashtra.
