Raj Thackery takes a jibe at cousin Uddhav's predicament
Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena’s bete noire, who had been quiet during the mutiny that unseated Uddhav Thackeray, took a jibe at his cousin on Twitter.
Uddhav Thackeray had to unceremoniously quit as Chief Minister of Maharashtra last night (June 29) after a major rebellion in the Shiv Sena.
In a tweet, Shiv Sena’s famous rebel Raj Thackeray tweeted, “When anyone misunderstands one’s good fortune as one’s personal accomplishment, therein begins the journey towards one’s decline.”
— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) June 30, 2022
Almost two decades ago, Raj Thackeray had led a rebellion within the Sena and formed his own party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). But, his political career has not taken off the way Eknath Shinde’s fortunes have turned. Shinde will become CM of Maharashtra with BJP’s backing.
Also read: Shiv Sena at crossroads; tough road ahead post-rebellion
He had remained mostly quiet during the political crisis that unfolded in the state since he was reportedly in hospital for a surgery around the same time. This tweet, however, showed that he is still bitter about his cousin.
Raj Thackeray is the son of Shrikant Thackeray, the younger brother of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Known for his aggressive stance on issues, Raj Thackeray was regarded as a natural heir to his uncle, as opposed to the mild-mannered son of Bal Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray.
Also read: Book excerpt | Uddhav Thackeray: Trail of the Tiger
However, after Uddhav Thackeray was almost chosen as the successor in the mid-2000s, a disgruntled Raj Thackeray left the party at the end of 2005. Of late, Raj Thackeray has projected himself as a hardliner Hindutva leader, a true follower of Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva legacy.
In fact, Uddhav Thackeray, who had allied with NCP and Congress to form the government in 2019, wanted to boost his Hindutva-Maratha credentials and recently renamed Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv.
