Raj Thackeray

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Raj Thackeray (born June 14, 1968) is a young Indian politician of Maharashtra, India. He is the founder chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party

Raj started his political career with right wing Shiv Sena party of Maharashtra. He is the nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. In September 2004, Raj revealed that he aspired to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He however did not contest the elections.

Once seen as the number 2 in the party after his uncle Bal Thackeray but sidelined by cousin Uddhav, the son of Bal Thackeray and Shiv Sena's executive President.

Raj Thackeray resigned from the party in December 2005 after blaming Uddhav Thackeray and his companions of ruining the Shiv Sena. He has announced he would form a new political party.

Raj has been extensively touring Maharashtra ever since he quit the Shiv Sena. Continuous efforts by his uncle, Bal Thackeray to set right the issue failed and Raj has started a new political party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and his party will contest the Civic polls in 2007.

Raj Thackeray is believed to have wide support base in Maharashtra and his official entry through a political party will create a dent in the Shiv Sena vote bank.

Raj is scheduled to hold a public rally in Mumbai's Shivaji Park on March 19th, a place where his uncle Balasaheb holds mass rallies. He is expected to announce the agenda of his party. It is expected to be a secular and progressive party concentrating on youth-related issues.

[edit] External links

• "I want to be CM: Raj Thackeray" - rediff.com article dated September 7, 2004
• "Raj Thackeray admires Hitler" - rediff.com article dated June 14, 2005

Raj Thackeray, till now is best known as Bal Thackeray's nephew. However he is on the brink of a future which will decide whether he will always be known this way or will be able to carve out a niche for himself as a new-age leader of Maharashtra.

Raj Thackeray started his career in politics as a youth-wing leader in the Shiv Sena . He steadily rose up the ranks with his charisma. Once seen as the number 2 in the party after his uncle Bal Thackeray, Raj's decline in the party started in the early's 90's due to his alleged involvement in the Ramesh Kinny murder case (which was seen as a political murder), as a result of which Bal Thackeray then pushed his youngest son Uddhav Thackeray into the limelight. With Uddhav's increasing say in the party affairs , Raj found himself being sidelined in the party by his shy and soft-spoken cousin. In what was seen as a great setback to Raj, Bal Thackeray appointed the comparatively inexperienced and naive Uddhav as the Executive President, a post specially created for him. After that, Raj's frustration against his being sidelined started becoming increasingly public, and each time, it ended only by the intervention of his 'GOD'-Bal Thackeray.

In what was seen as an attempt to reinvent the Sena, the two cousins launched two contradictory versions of the Sena's programme 'Mee Mumbaikar' (I a Mumbai citizen) to woo the urban Mumbai vote. Then in 2005, one-time chief minister and Bal Thackeray's blue-eyed boy Narayan Rane's rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership opened a can of worms. Dirty linen was washed in public. It is interesting to note here , that even though the Sena has had its share of rebels, with the exception of Chhagan Bhujbal, no one had dared to take on the Sena openly. But this time around with Narayan Rane, the Sena found itself on the receiving end of its own arm-twisting tactics. Narayan Rane was expelled from the Sena and joined the Congress. Due to his resignation from his post as the Leader Of the Opposition in the Legislative assembly, by-polls were necessiated. These by-polls became a do-or-die situation for both Uddhav and Rane. Raj , surprisingly remained quiet during this whole affair. Narayan Rane was considered close to Raj. The Sena received a heavy drubbing in the by-polls which led to discontent among the rank and file of the party. Raj, at such a crucial time , when even the existence of the Sena for a long time was being questioned, raised the banter of revolt. And this time he was so determined in his revolt that even repeated requests from his 'GOD' Bal Thackeray didn't make him budge from his alleged demand of handling total control of the party affairs. Finally he resigned from the primary membership of the Shiv sena amidst high drama with him blasting cousin Uddhav and his coterie for running the Shiv sena like clerks.

That step of his led to speculation whether he would join some other party or form his own party. He finally announced after weeks of speculation, that he would be doing the latter.

Raj has been extensively touring Maharashtra ever since he quit the Shiv Sena.he had public meetings at various points to gauge popular public perception to his new party. He then went on to launch his political party called the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on the 9th of March along with its flag. Apart from the predictable saffron , the flag also consists of horizontal stripes of blue ang green. Many see this is an attempt to be all-inclusive , quite unlike his uncle's politics. The blue is the colur of the Dalits while including Green in the flag is seen as an attempt to woo the Muslims towards the party. Clearly, Raj understands that the Sena's brand of politics is outdated and no longer relevant to the present scenario.

In a massive rally held at the Shivaji Park, incidentally where Bal Thackeray launched the Sena on 19th June 1966, Raj formally launched the party in Dec 2005 and gave out his goals and objectives. He said that his party would steer ahead of sycophancy where there should be no touching of feet of the senior leaders. This was something unexpected and quite welcome. Whether it is implemented or not remains to be seen. Raj also said that it was his dream to build a modern, progressive and vibrant Maharashtra. Prior to the rally, his supporters had been holding public meetings in predominantly Dalit and Muslim stronghold where the Shiv Sena enjoys no kind of support whatsoever.

Raj's rally was attended mainly by the youth. Him being the president of the Bhartiya Vidyarthi Sena in the Sena will surely help him in garnering the youth workers as well as votes. Hitherto, Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar was considered to be having the support of the youth. However, Raj's entry might just change things.

Raj has said that his immediate aim is the Municipal elections in 2007, which is the last standing bastion of the Sena. It will be interesting to see what fait awaits the Sena after both Rane and Raj, both insiders have set their sights on the elections.

Raj Thackeray has always been considered a Bal Thackeray clone due to his mannerisms and oratory skills being highly inspired by his Uncle. It remains to be seen whether Raj manages to emerge out of the shadow of his uncle whom he so dearly worships and has his actions speak louder than his words.