Few would have predicted before the 2019 Assembly elections that Uddhav Thackeray would break with the old ally BJP and become chief minister of Maharashtra as the leader of an unlikely coalition with the NCP and Congress. Thackeray’s tenure as chief minister ended two-and-a-half years later when Eknath Shinde, a senior Shiv Sena leader, rebelled against him and a majority of Sena MLAs joined the rebel camp.
Described as being more mellow than the cadre of the party his father, Balasaheb, Uddhav was known for his photography skills in his younger days, which led him to start an advertising business, proving that he inherited his father’s artistic abilities. In his youth, Balasaheb was a well-known cartoonist. Raj Thackeray, Uddhav’s cousin, was expected to be the political heir, but he, too, left to form a new political party.
Reluctant Steps, But Notable Work
And while Uddhav’s first steps into politics are described as ‘reluctant’, he saw Shiv Sena go through ups and downs since he first took over as acting president and party chief following the death of his father, Bal Thackeray, in 2012.
Uddhav, Bal Thackeray’s youngest son, also known as ‘Digga,’ began assisting his father in party affairs in the early 1990s. He was elevated to the position of executive party president in 2001 over his younger cousin Raj Thackeray, who was thought to be ‘more charismatic’. This elevation caused schisms within the party. Narayan Rane, a senior leader and former chief minister, resigned in 2005, followed by Raj.
Despite this, the Shiv Sena was able to win important Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Thane Municipal Corporation elections in 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. When Bal Thackeray died in 2012, many party critics predicted that the Sena would be doomed. But Uddhav Thackeray managed to keep the party together while also leading its transformation from a party of street fighters to a mature political outfit.
He was a wildlife photographer who dabbled in aerial photography. His photographs of Maharashtra forts adorn the walls of the New Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi.
The Coalition that Would Be His ‘End’
When the Shiv Sena and the BJP split to run separate campaigns in 2014, Thackeray led his party’s campaign to become the state assembly’s second largest party after the BJP. However, the Shiv Sena later joined forces with the BJP as the latter formed government.
In 2019, the Shiv Sena joined forces with the Congress and the NCP after the two parties split over the position of chief minister. Thackeray was appointed chief minister of this tri-partite alliance, which many predicted would disintegrate soon.
Thackeray was also the first member of his family to hold public office. His leadership during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic was lauded. However, some Shiv Sena leaders complained that he was unavailable as party president and chief minister.
Several Sena leaders were also uneasy about the party’s alliance with arch-rivals Congress and the NCP, which proved to be the alliance’s undoing. Thackeray also recently stated that he had no desire to become chief minister.
‘I Do Everything…With Determination’
Now, with the chain of events unfolding in Maharashtra, it will be interesting to see whether Uddhav will manage to revive his party’s confidence and fortune in the future. In a recent Facebook live, the leader had said: “Whatever I do, whether I desire it or not…. I do it with determination”.
With inputs from agencies
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