Raj and Uddhav Thackeray's families meet over lunch

Mumbai: The Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — and their families met over lunch on Sunday, a sign of increasing bonhomie among the once estranged families.

This is the sixth meeting between Uddhav, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and Raj, the MNS founder-president.

Around noon, Raj, accompanied by his mother Kunda Tai, wife Sharmila, son Amit, daughter-in-law Mitali and grandson drove to Matoshree, the residence of Uddhav.

At Matoshree, they were welcomed by Uddhav, his wife Rashmi and their sons Aaditya and Tejas.

After almost two decades, the families are bonding - as the political relations between the two cousins are improving.

"It’s a family meeting. My mother is with me," said Raj.

The Thackeray family is closely-knit - in fact, Uddhav’s father, late Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj’s father, late Shrikant Thackeray, a music composer, were brothers while Uddhav’s mother late Meenatai and Raj’s mother Kundatai are sisters.

Balasaheb and Shrikant Thackeray were sons of Prabodhankar Thackeray, a social reformer and writer who campaigned against superstition, untouchability, child marriage and dowry and one of the key leaders of the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.

The coming together of the Thackeray brand is very significant in Maharashtra politics.

The BJP, however, decided to stay away from the entire issue. “It is good if families come together…it is a personal meeting between two brothers and their families…it is good, it's a Diwali meeting,” said state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

"This is their sixth meeting in the last 3-4 months. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are brothers, friends, comrades, and leaders of both political parties. They have repeatedly come together on the same platform to address the issues of Marathi Manus and are going to fulfill what the people of Maharashtra want,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey.

The political messaging on part of Uddhav and Raj - in public fora - is very big ahead of local bodies elections in Maharashtra during which 29 municipal corporations, 257 municipal councils, 26 zilla parishads, 289 panchayat samitis would go to polls - which accounts for over 60 per cent of state’s population spread across the five geographical regions - Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.

The meetings amplified the buzz for an alliance between the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the run up to the make-or-break local bodies elections in the state.

While Uddhav is a key leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi-INDIA opposition bloc, Raj had earlier supported the BJP-led NDA in 2024 Lok Sabha polls but contested the subsequent Vidhan Sabha polls independently.

The bonding and show of strength of the cousins come at a time when the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS are going through an existential crisis after their worst-ever performance in the Assembly polls with Uddhav’s party getting just 20 seats and Raj’s team failing to open account.

The Sunday luncheon comes before Tuesday’s meeting of opposition parties with the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra.

The delegation would include the leadership of opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi - NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress President Harshavardhan Sapkal.

MNS founder-President Raj Thackeray, who is not yet formally part of the MVA though an electoral alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT), will also join in.

Previous Raj-Uddhav bonding

On July 5 at the Dome in Sardar Vallabhbhai Stadium, National Sports Club of India in Worli, on the issue of Marathi-bhasha, Marathi-asmita and the larger cause of Maharashtra - a scene that the people of the state waited for two decades.

On July 27, Raj drove to Matoshree in Bandra to wish Uddhav on his 65th birthday.

On August 27, Uddhav reciprocated by visiting the Shivtirth, the house of Raj along the Shivaji Park, on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.

On September 10, Uddhav visited Shivtirth to meet Raj’s mother and his maternal aunt Kunda Tai and the two cousins also had a one-on-one meeting.

On October 5, the two cousins and their families met at the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Club during naming ceremony of the grandson of Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, the Man Friday of Uddhav and close friend of Raj. After that Raj drove to Matoshree and held discussions with Uddhav.