Raj Thackeray, the Indian politician, is the nephew of Balasaheb Thackeray. Born on June 14, 1968, Raj joined the Mumbai’s Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, and after graduation, he went onto ‘Marmik‘, Bal Thackeray’s weekly magazine, as a cartoonist. 

Raj’s parents are Shrikant, Bal Thackeray’s younger brother, and Kunda, the younger sister of Bal Thackeray’s wife, Meena. Raj’s political career began when he launched the Bharatiya Vidyarthi sena, the student wing of the Shiv Sena. 

The 1990 Maharashtra assembly elections saw Raj’s rise to prominence and he believed himself to be the heir to his uncle’s position, but Balasaheb always showed a preference for his son Uddhav, who went on to become Chief Minister of Maharashtra until announcing his resignation on June 29, 2022. 

Raj was sidelined for years by both Balasaheb and other leaders of the Shiv Sena party until growing disillusioned, he resigned on November 27, 2005. Raj then announced the start of a new party, which came into being on March 9, 2006. His Maharashtra Navnirman Sena now runs as an opposition party in the state. 

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With the current crisis in Maharashtra, with rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde likely to take on the mantle of CM, all eyes are on a possible alliance with Raj’s MNS. Shinde reportedly called Raj, though he’s said it was about the latter’s hip replacement surgery, for which the 54-year-old was discharged on June 25, 2022. 

Raj is married to Sharmila Wagh, daughter of Mohan Wagh, the producer-director. The two have a son, Amit, and a daughter, Urvashi.

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While the MNS and Raj remain one option for the Shinde camp, other alternatives include Prahar Janashakti, whose MLAs have already extended support, or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, part of Shinde’s camp isn’t eager to merge with the dominant national party, as Indian Express reported, quoting the rebel leader, Deepak Kesarkar, who said “We are not going to merge with any party. We are very much a part of the Sena. Since a majority of the members are on our side, we should be considered the real Shiv Sena.”