By Kavita Mistry 
Politics in Mumbai right now is kind of like watching a wild animal show. Imagine tigers sneaking around, eagles flying above, monkeys jumping about, and everyone trying to grab attention or defend their space. That’s what it feels like as people talk about two cousins, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, maybe working together again in politics.
So, who are the Thackerays?
They’re part of a famous political family in Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray got control of a big political party called Shiv Sena, which was started by his father. But years ago, his cousin Raj Thackeray didn’t agree with how things were going and started his own party, the MNS. Raj’s party didn’t do well in elections, but his followers are still loud and active.
Later, Uddhav lost control of the original Shiv Sena party to another politician named Eknath Shinde. Uddhav then tried working with parties that believe in secularism and more progressive ideas, but it didn’t help him win elections either.
What’s happening now?
Eknath Shinde, the one who took over Shiv Sena, even became the Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra. But after the latest elections, the BJP (a big national party) won so many seats that Shinde couldn’t stay CM on his own and had to settle for Deputy CM instead.
Now, rumors say that Uddhav and Raj might patch things up and try to bring the original Shiv Sena spirit back. This idea is making Shinde nervous – so nervous that he got snappy with a reporter who asked him about it.
What’s the big deal?
If the Thackeray cousins actually join hands again, they might try to bring back a political idea called “Marathi First”, which means focusing on the people and culture of Maharashtra. But that won’t be easy.
Right now, the BJP is super strong with its nationalist Hindutva ideas (which focus on Hindu identity for the whole country), and they’ve been winning a lot. Uddhav has tried to move towards the center, which means being less extreme, but that hasn’t brought him much success.
What’s next?
Everyone is watching the upcoming Mumbai municipal elections – kind of like the local government elections – to see what happens. That will show whether the Thackerays teaming up again really matters or if it’s just a bunch of “emotional talk.”
Maharashtra is watching closely, like a hawk in the sky. Will the cousins work together? Can they win back the city? We’ll find out soon.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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