• Source:JND
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Raj and Uddhav Thackeray came together in a rare moment of reunion as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray visited Matoshree, the iconic Thackeray residence in Mumbai, for the first time in 13 years to celebrate the birthday of his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Raj had last stepped into Matoshree in 2012, during the time of their uncle Balasaheb Thackeray’s death. This time, he was accompanied by senior MNS leaders Bala Nandgaonkar and Nitin Sardesai.

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A photograph of the two cousins standing together inside Matoshree, with a portrait of Balasaheb in the background, marked the emotional reunion. Another image captured the moment Raj presented Uddhav with a bouquet to mark the occasion.

The video shared online shows Uddhav Thackeray cutting his birthday cake surrounded by family members and Shiv Sena leaders singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in Hindi. Notably, Raj Thackeray was absent from the clip.

The two estranged cousins, who recently reunited after two decades, had earlier this month shared a political stage in a show of unity over the issue of Marathi identity and resistance to the "imposition" of Hindi. At a “victory” rally in Worli, Uddhav hinted at contesting the upcoming civic polls in alliance with Raj, declaring, “We have come together to stay together. We will together capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra,” drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

Prior to Uddhav’s speech, Raj Thackeray took a dig, saying Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had achieved what even Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray couldn't, bringing the two cousins back together.

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Raj had parted ways with the Shiv Sena in 2005 over a fallout with Uddhav and went on to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Since then, the two had fought elections against each other. Their July 5 reunion came amid rising public demand for unity, especially after the BJP’s growing influence in the state and its alliance with Eknath Shinde, who split the Shiv Sena in 2022.