Uddhav's extended family meets Shinde, fueling speculation

Even as the crisis in the Shiv Sena didn’t seem to let up, there looked like a split within the Thackeray family itself as well, posing new challenges for party leader Uddhav Thackeray.

This week two members of the Thackeray clan—Smita and Nihal Thackeray—met Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, who had joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Amid that political crisis, Uddhav’s estranged cousin Raj, who is the president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party, sided with the BJP.

Members of the families of Uddhav’s brothers, Jaidev and the late Bindumadhav, too, seemed to be with Shinde.

While Smita, Jaidev’s estranged wife, met Shinde on Wednesday, Bindumadhav’s son Nihar met him on Friday. Both made a non-political life by venturing into films, production, and in Smita’s case, charity work.

Smita is the chairperson and founder of Rahul Productions and Mukkti Foundation. She worked in the field of women’s safety and HIV/AIDS awareness and education. She first ventured into films and produced the film Haseena Maan Jayegi—starring Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, Karishma Kapoor and Pooja Batra—which was released in 1999.

One the other hand, Nihar's father late Bindumadhav produced the 1996 film Agnisakshi, starring Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff and Nana Patekar.

“Shinde saheb is an old Shiv Sainik who has become the chief minister. I came here to congratulate him. I have known him and his work for the last many years,” said Smita.

“I came to congratulate Shinde saheb…he is from Shiv Sena, and he is taking the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray ahead,” said Nihar, adding that he is a lawyer by profession and would be helping Shinde whenever needed in legal issues.