In another son rise in state politics, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has nominated his son Amit as his party’s candidate from Mahim constituency in south-central Mumbai for the November 20 Assembly polls.
More than four years after the MNS launched him in politics by declaring him as a party leader, the name of Amit Raj Thackeray (32) figured in the first list of 45 candidates released by the Raj Thackeray-led party for the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Amit is the fifth member of the Thackeray family to have entered active politics. While the Shiv Sena’s founder late Balasaheb Thackeray – though he did not contest any election—was in active politics for 46 years. His son Uddhav and grandson Aditya have been in active politics for 22 and 12 years respectively and both have contested elections. However, like his late uncle Balasaheb, Amit’s father Raj Thackeray has never contested an election.
It may be recalled that Raj Thackeray, who is the son of late Bal Thackeray’s younger brother Shrikant Thackeray, rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray and quit the Shiv Sena in December 2005 and founded his own party – MNS four months later in March 2006.
However, the MNS has not had much of an electoral success over the years. In the first-ever Assembly polls it contested in 2009, the MNS bagged just seats out of the total 143 seats it had contested. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the MNS bagged just 13 seats out of the 101 seats it had contested.
Amit and Aditya -- who are the sons of once estranged Thackeray cousins Uddhav and Raj -- are the third generation Thackerays. Unlike Adity who was launched into politics by grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray at a Dussehra rally held on October 17, 2010, Amit was inducted into the MNS and made a leader without much of fanfare at a function held on the birth anniversary of late Balasaheb on January 23, 2020. While Aditya made an electoral debut in 2019 Assembly polls, Amit is taking an electoral plunge now.
Born in Mumbai on May 24, 1992, Amit graduated from Mumbai’s Ruparel College, Amit has completed his studies in architecture. Like his father Raj, Amit is also a good cartoonist. He is a football player. He is popular among the MNS’ youth wing workers.
Amit is married to Mitali Borude, a professional fashion designer. Amit’s wife Mitali and sister Urvashi are good friends. Together, they launched a cloth brand “The Rock” some years ago.
The Mahim constituency, from where Amit Thackeray has been fielded as a candidate by the MNS, is dominated by the Marathi-speaking people. Being one of the seven islands that originally came to be known as the Island city of Mumbai, Mahim has been a strong-hold of the united Shiv Sena since 1990 –except in 2009 when the MNS wrested the seat from the Sena. However, the Uddhav Thackeray-led united recaptured the seat in the 2014 elections and retained it in 2019.
Given that sitting MLA from Mahim Sada Sarvankar is from Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, it remains to be seen if he will re-contest the polls or back down to support the candidature of Amit Thackeray. “Since Eknath Shinde and Raj Thackeray enjoy good personal relations, it will not be a surprise if the Shinde Sena chooses not to put up a candidate against Amit Thakeray,” a ruling MahaYuti leader said.
In view of the fact that the relations between Uddhav and Raj are not as strained as it was in the past, it is not clear yet whether the Shiv Sena (UBT) will put up a candidate against Amit Thackeray.
If both the Senas do not put a candidate in Mahim constituency, then it will be a cake walk for Amit Thackeray. In the presence of a formidable candidate against Amit Thackeray, Mahim will witness a keen contest in the November 20 Assembly polls.
