metro india news  I mumbai

A Historic Rally in Mumbai Signals New Political Alignment Mumbai, July 5, 2025 – In a momentous turn of events, Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), and his cousin Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), shared a stage for the first time in two decades at a grand rally in Mumbai’s Worli Dome.

The event, dubbed the “Awaj Marathicha” (Voice of Marathi), marked the end of a 20-year family feud that had fractured one of Maharashtra’s most influential political dynasties. Adding to the significance, their sons, Aaditya Thackeray and Amit Thackeray, stood alongside them, symbolizing a generational bridge in this reconciliation.

The rally, attended by thousands, also saw the unexpected presence of Supriya Sule, MP and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), amplifying its political weight.The reunion was catalyzed by a shared opposition to the Maharashtra government’s decision to introduce Hindi as a third language in state schools under the New Education Policy (NEP), a move that both Thackeray factions argued undermined Marathi identity. 

However, the most striking moment came when Raj Thackeray, in his address, credited Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for achieving what even Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray could not: uniting the estranged cousins.