Raj Thackeray Visits Matoshree to Wish Uddhav Thackeray on His 65th Birthday

In a symbolic and emotional gesture, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray visited Matoshree — the residence of his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray — on Sunday to personally extend birthday wishes on the latter’s 65th birthday.

Raj traveled from his residence “Shivatirth” in Dadar to Matoshree in Bandra, where Uddhav Thackeray greeted him at the entrance, accompanied by senior party leader and MP Sanjay Raut. Raj presented a large bouquet of red roses to his elder cousin. The visit was also shared on Raj Thackeray’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, where he posted a photo alongside Uddhav with a caption that read:
“On the occasion of my elder brother, Shiv Sena chief Mr. Uddhav Thackeray’s birthday, I visited Matoshree, the residence of the late Honourable Mr. Balasaheb Thackeray, to extend my best wishes.”

This visit marked Raj’s first return to Matoshree in over 13 years, since his departure from Shiv Sena in 2006 — a split that had set the Thackeray cousins on rival political paths. He was joined during the visit by MNS leaders Bala Nandgaonkar and Nitin Sardesai.

Inside Matoshree, the two cousins posed for photographs beside a portrait of Balasaheb Thackeray, the patriarch of the Thackeray family and founder of the original Shiv Sena. While the meeting was brief, it held political significance, especially in the context of the growing speculation around a potential alliance between the two factions.

Earlier this month, on July 5, Raj and Uddhav had shared a stage at a joint rally in Mumbai — their first such appearance in nearly two decades. The rally, dubbed the “Victory Rally”, was organized in protest against the Maharashtra government’s now-withdrawn decision to impose Hindi as a third language at the primary level in schools. The two leaders stood united to assert Marathi identity and language rights.

During the rally, Uddhav hinted at a future political alliance, especially in light of the upcoming Mumbai municipal elections, which are due later this year. Raj, however, said that the MNS will decide its electoral strategy only after the civic polls are announced.

This reunion — both personal and political — is being closely watched as a potential turning point in Maharashtra’s political landscape.