Bal Thackeray's legacy is now contested between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde (in photo).
Shortly before the Dussehra rally clash between rival factions of the Shiv Sena in Mumbai this evening, Eknath Shinde targeted his former party boss Uddhav Thackeray with a sharp tweet that implied that the legacy of Sena founder Bal Thackeray doesn't necessarily have to pass on to his son.
Eknath Shinde's tweet quoted renowned poet Harivanshrai Bachchan.
"My son will not be my heir by being my son; whoever is my heir will be my son - Harivanshrai Bachchan," wrote the Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Both sides have been trading digs and posting video previews in the build-up to the Dussehra rallies to be held barely 10 km apart in Mumbai.
Eknath Shinde took over as Chief Minister on July 1 following a BJP-backed coup in the Shiv Sena that brought down Uddhav Thackeray's coalition government.
Uddhav Thackeray, toppled by his former aide Eknath Shinde, has been fighting to hold on to the party founded by his father Bal Thackeray. Team Thackeray and Team Shinde are fighting a legal battle but the rivalry is playing out through a Sena tradition - the Dussehra rally addressed for years by Bal Thackeray.
Bal Thackeray's legacy is now contested between his son and political heir Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
Uddhav Thackeray got a big boost when the Bombay High Court granted his faction the traditional venue - Shivaji Park.
Mr Shinde will address a rally at the MMRDA Ground in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).
Team Shinde says Mr Thackeray can't simply claim the legacy when he no longer heads the "real Shiv Sena".