Will the Thackeray Family Unite on Bhai Dooj?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Uddhav and Raj Thackeray reunited for Bhai Dooj.
- The reunion has political implications for Maharashtra.
- Both cousins oppose the imposition of Hindi in schools.
- They have met frequently over the past few months.
- They are advocating for electoral reforms.
Mumbai, Oct 23 (NationPress) Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray reunited on Thursday to commemorate Bhai Dooj.
The cousins visited their sister Jayawanti Thackeray Deshpande's residence to celebrate the occasion. This family reunion unfolded at the Buildarch Daffodil building in Dadar.
Raj Thackeray arrived with his entire family, while Uddhav Thackeray was accompanied by his wife, Rashmi Thackeray. Amit Thackeray and Urvashi Thackeray were also present.
Aditya and Tejas Thackeray joined in the festivities, marking a significant family moment for both cousins, which generated considerable interest in the state's political landscape.
The once-estranged cousins came together after nearly two decades, uniting over issues of Marathi pride and vehemently opposing what they referred to as the imposition of Hindi as a mandatory language in schools, following Marathi and English, under the guise of the National Education Policy brought forth by the BJP-led MahaYuti government.
In response to the brothers' strong protests, along with those from opposition parties and literary groups, the state government rescinded two resolutions regarding the introduction of Hindi as a third compulsory language and subsequently established a committee led by former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav to provide recommendations.
The Thackeray brothers organized a victory rally on July 5 following the government's reversal, proclaiming their commitment to remaining united.
This has ignited speculation about a potential alliance between Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation elections, aiming to counter the BJP-led MahaYuti.
While a formal decision regarding their alliance has yet to be made, they have joined forces with other opposition parties concerning allegations of vote manipulation.
The duo participated in a delegation to meet the state chief electoral officer and state election commissioner, advocating for the postponement of impending local and civic body elections until the current voters' list is rectified.
They emphasized the necessity of rectification due to a significant number of bogus and duplicate voters and demanded a special summary revision of the voters' list.
Last week, Uddhav Thackeray and his family attended the inauguration of the illumination of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, an event organized by Raj Thackeray.
Prior to this, Uddhav visited Raj’s residence in Dadar to celebrate the birthday of Raj's mother and also attended events during the Ganesh festival. Over the last four months, the Thackeray brothers have met more than ten times.