Next generation of Thackeray wars: Forget Raj vs Uddhav; get ready for Amit vs Aditya

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the two Thackeray clan-led parties - Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena - are preparing a new generation of scions - Aditya and Amit - for a more active role.

While their eventual entry into active politics was but inevitable, fiery Raj Thackeray’s decision to split from the Shiv Sena likely precipitated their ascent, as this Economic Times report states:

Though there was no doubt about Aditya’s place in Shiv Sena as Uddhav’s political heir, his entry into the party was a rushed affair in 2010 after Uddhav and Shiv Sena were challenged by the cousin, Raj Thackeray, who split the party and founded the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in 2006. What rocked the Sena was the phenomenal support Raj had among the youth.

The Shiv Sena in 2010 therefore pushed Uddhav’s son Aditya to play an active role in the Yuva Sena, and had the alliance with the BJP not ended, was poised to push him forward as CM candidate in 2019,

Aditya, who has been given charge of the Yuva Sena, has since early this year, started commenting on important party affairs, moving away from civic issues such as what to do with Mumbai’s Race Course garden.

These three recent remarks by Aditya were widely reported by the media as signs of his stepping up as the second-in-command at Matoshree, after Balasaheb’s death.

1. That the Shiv Sena should now do 100 percent politics and 100 percent social work, in a way going beyond what his grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray had said - 20 percent politics and 80 percent social work.

2. That his father and party president Uddhav Thackeray will lead the party in the upcoming elections, perhaps suggesting that he would be the CM candidate if the party wins a comfortable number of seats.

3. His tweet that the Shiv Sena is ending its alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra after 25 years.

The BJP, though, had dismissed Aditya as ‘immature’ when he participated in seat-sharing talks with senior leaders of that party. When the alliance ended, it was Aditya who tweeted out an emotional outburst, claiming that the BJP had back-stabbed and betrayed its relationship with the Sena.

Aditya is a political natural thanks to his upbringing at Matoshree, where he was a fixture at his late grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray’s engagements.

In stark contrast, Raj’s son Amit chooses to stay away from meeting his fathers aides and focuses more on caricatures and his interest in architecture, as this India Today report suggests.

Considered to be more of an introvert, Amit is being egged on by MNS leaders and his mother to take a proactive role in party affairs. At a political event earlier this year, Raj admitted that his son’s entrance into active politics was imminent and it would happen at the appropriate time. Raj’s reluctance to announce Amit as heir-apparent could well be because a poor showing in the Assembly polls may dent his future prospected. But party workers, quite obviously, have already accepted Amit as the next  leader, which is similar to what happened in the early 200os, when it was obvious that Uddhav would take over the Sena leadership from Bal Thackeray.

“Amit is now expected to attend all party meetings, but no one seeks his suggestions nor does he volunteer any. He was even present a week ago when his dad interviewed potential candidates at Aurangabad, though he didn’t venture to ask a single question.

His importance in the scheme of things is not in question as party leaders treat him with as much respect as they do his dad.” The Economic Times reported.

Given their yin and yang personalities, comparisons are inevitable to another set of famous political cousins. No prizes for guessing which one is the Thackeray of Rahul.