Uddhav, Raj Thackeray pay tributes to late Balasaheb as Sanjay Raut pays surprise visit

The occasion of the 13th death anniversary of undivided Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, who passed away in 2012, witnessed another coming together of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at the Shivaji Park ground memorial on Monday, with even ailing Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP as well as chief party spokesperson Sanjay Raut paying a surprise visit to the venue in person.

Yet, sources said that on Monday, which was the last day of filing applications for the local civic body elections, MNS chief Raj Thackeray decided to spring a surprise and withdraw from the Nashik Municipal Council elections and not field any official candidates.

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Significantly, local Nashik district office bearers of the MNS informed that Raj Thackeray has instructed not to contest the Nashik Municipal Council elections, despite strong expectations that both Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s MNS would contest the Nashik Municipal Council elections together.

The development has come exactly a day after Uddhav Thackeray stated that the Congress is free to contest elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on its own, after some Congress leaders stated that their party would fight local civic body elections on their own strength, without forming any alliances with other parties.

Notably, a few days ago, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the MNS had discussed joining hands to contest the Nashik Municipal Council elections together and even held a joint press conference announcing the same. However, after that press conference, where Congress state secretary Rahul Dive took the stand of allying with the MNS, other senior Congress leaders opposed it.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who used to be with the undivided Shiv Sena, until he split the party in 2022 and formed his own party with the same name, tweeted on his X account on Monday, paying tributes to Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and stating that “His thoughts and memories will forever remain in our hearts.”

The occasion also witnessed the ailing Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP, as well as chief party spokesperson Sanjay Raut, paying a surprise visit in person to the Shivaji Park memorial of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray to pay his tributes.

The ailing Sanjay Raut had completely stopped stepping out of his house since October 31, after being advised by his doctors. However, on the occasion of the 13th death anniversary of Shiv Sena founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, he left his residence and reached Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial at Shivaji Park in Dadar West.

Raut arrived at Shivaji Park, dressed in a shirt and trousers, but wore a mask on his face to prevent infection. After getting out of his car at Shivaji Park, Raut held the hand of his brother Sunil Raut for support and walked down to the memorial of the late Balasaheb Thackeray and paid his tributes, even as hundreds of surprised Shiv Sainiks from all over Maharashtra who reached Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial from 7 am, looked on.

After paying homage at Balasaheb’s memorial earlier on Monday, Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, Chandu Mama, and Rashmi Thackeray sat together at the Balasaheb Thackeray memorial for a while.