Chandigarh, July 5 - In a historic political moment after nearly 20 years, two cousins ??- Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray - shared the stage for the first time at a high-profile rally in Mumbai, thus reuniting the brothers politically after two decades. The event is being considered very significant for Maharashtra politics. The event was a rare and unique show of unity between Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), which focused on protecting Marathi identity and opposing the controversial three-language policy.
Addressing the gathering, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has done something that even Balasaheb Thackeray could not do by bringing Uddhav and me together on the same platform.” He claimed that the Maharashtra government’s recent withdrawal of the three-language formula came only after strong public opposition from Marathi-speaking citizens. “This language policy was the beginning of a big plan to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra,” Raj alleged. Drawing a comparison with the southern states, Raj Thackeray said, “Many politicians and film stars in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh studied in English-medium schools, but they still take great pride in their mother tongue. We should do the same for Marathi.” In his address, Uddhav Thackeray stressed that this reunion is not temporary. "We have come together to stay together," he said, hinting at continued cooperation between the two parties.
The rally is being seen as a strategic and symbolic show of strength, especially as both leaders are trying to regain their traditional Marathi and Maratha voter base. The event could reshape the alliance in Maharashtra's political landscape.