Uddhav Thackeray today took oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the historic Shivaji Park in Mumbai’s Dadar in the presence of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The head of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress alliance, Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, Uddhav has become the first chief minister from the Thackeray family and the third from the Sena after Manohar Joshi and Narayan Rane.
- Uddhav Thackeray is the third of three sons of Bal Thackeray and Meena Thackeray.
- Uddhav graduated from the prestigious JJ Institute of Applied Art. He had launched an advertising agency with his friends. In 1989, when the Shiv Sena started the daily ‘Saamana’ as its mouthpiece, Uddhav played an instrumental role in making it a popular daily in the state.
- Like his father, uncle Shrikant and cousin Raj, he also began as a cartoonist, but he later switched to photography.
- The late Bal Thackeray influence over the party and personal favoritism over nephew Raj Thackeray resulted in Uddhav’s rise in the party.
- Uddhav Thackeray was appointed as the working president of Shiv Sena in 2003. The move came as a surprise to many, as his cousin brother Raj Thackeray was expected to get the post. This resulted in a fallout between the two cousins and later Raj Thackeray resigned in 2005 to flag his own party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
- He is keen interest in aerial photography and has exhibited his collection of aerial shots of various forts of Maharashtra at the Jehangir Art Gallery in 2004. He has also published a coffee-table book of his photo collections Maharashtra Desh (2010) and Pahava Vithhal (2011)
- Uddhav Thackeray like any other patriarchs of the family has never contested elections in his life. After taking oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, he will have to become a member of either State Legislative Assembly or State Legislative Council.
- Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray created history by becoming the first member of the Thackeray family to contest an election. Aaditya Thackeray had contested and won from Worli Assembly constituency.
- For this, Uddhav Thackeray will now either have to get one of the party MLAs to resign and contest from the seat or get his son Aaditya Thackeray to resign from Worli.
- This would also be the first time in Maharashtra politics that the Shiv Sena has broken away from its traditional ally of three decades (NDA) and joined hands with its political opponents of 30 years–the Congress and the NCP.
- Uddhav will the first one from the Thackeray, and third from the Shiv Sena party to become a Chief Minister.