Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have both hinted at a reunion.
The Thackeray family - which splintered politically in 2005 following Raj Thackeray's decision to start his own party, could witness a dramatic reunion. Estranged cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray have both hinted at a patch-up amid concerns over alleged threats to Marathi identity and culture.
Speaking at different events, the two leaders, who head the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) respectively, conveyed a common message that Maharashtra's linguistic and cultural interests are above political rivalries.
Asked about the possibility of a reunion between the cousins during a podcast with actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, Raj Thackeray said that the differences between him and his cousins are proving detrimental to Maharashtra's interests.
"The disputes and fights between Uddhav and me are minor -- Maharashtra is much bigger than all that. These differences are proving costly for the existence of Maharashtra and the Marathi people. Coming together is not difficult, it's a matter of will. It's not just about my desire or selfishness. We need to look at the bigger picture. All Marathi people across political parties should unite and form a single party," Raj Thackeray said.
However, Raj Thackeray stressed the difference between his earlier departure from Shiv Sena in 2005 from the 2022 split led by Eknath Shinde, who broke away from Uddhav Thackeray's faction to form a new government with the BJP.
"I left Shiv Sena when MLAs and MPs were with me. Even then, I chose to walk alone because I couldn't work under anyone except Balasaheb Thackeray. I had no objection to working with Uddhav," he said. "The question is - does the other side have the will to work with me?"
"If Maharashtra wants us to come together, let Maharashtra speak up," he added. "I don't let my ego get in the way of such matters."
Uddhav Thackeray, addressing a gathering organised by the Bhartiya Kamgar Sena, expressed a conditional openness to reconciliation.
"I'm ready to put aside petty disputes. I appeal to all Marathi people to unite in the interest of Maharashtra. But there is a condition -- when we pointed out in Parliament that industries were being shifted to Gujarat, if we had united then, we could have formed a government that worked for Maharashtra. We cannot keep switching sides -- supporting them one day, opposing them the next, and then compromising again," Uddhav Thackeray.
"Anyone who acts against Maharashtra's interests -- I will not welcome them, invite them home, or sit with them. Let this be clear first, and then let us work together for Maharashtra," he added.
Responding to the comments, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "If the two come together, we will be happy about it, because if people settle their differences, it is a good thing. What else can I say about it?"
Common Opposition To Policy Change
The remarks come at a time when both leaders have expressed opposition to the Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi a compulsory subject from Classes 1 to 5 in all Marathi and English-medium schools. The policy, initiated by the BJP-led MahaYuti government, has been viewed by both parties as an affront to the Marathi language.
Uddhav and Raj Thackeray independently denounced the policy, arguing it undermines Marathi's cultural standing, particularly ironic at a time when the BJP government has granted classical language status to Marathi.
"If you are going to make Hindi compulsory, then I want to tell [Devendra] Fadnavis to make Marathi compulsory in Ghatkopar. We don't oppose any other language," said Uddhav Thackeray, referencing Ghatkopar, a Gujarati-dominated locality in central Mumbai.
"We want to make everyone ours. There are North Indians, Gujaratis, and now Muslims are also with us, but why do you want to disunite us? Try doing this in Tamil Nadu in front of MK Stalin. We have nothing against Hindi. But why make it compulsory?" he asked.
Raj Thackeray, weighing in on the Hindi language row, posted on social media on Friday that his party will categorically "not accept" the mandatory Hindi language in the state school syllabus.
"The Central government is currently making efforts to 'Hindify' everywhere, and neither will it allow us to be successful in the state. Hindi is not the national language," he wrote.
