Uddhav first Thackeray to ascend to Maharashtra's top post

Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday, capping off a month-long political drama in the state following the Assembly elections. Thackeray is the first member of his family to occupy the top post and the third from Shiv Sena after Manohar Joshi and Narayan Rane. He took oath at Shivaji Park here along with two leaders each from Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP.

As he takes over the chief minister's post, Thackeray's first priority would be to address farmers' grievances among other issues and keep the flock together, considering that he heads the newly formed Maha Vikas Aghadi, an alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.

Born on July 27, 1960, in Mumbai, Thackeray is the son of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. He is a graduate of JJ School of Arts and a published author. He is also a professional photographer, whose work has appeared in various magazines and has been showcased at numerous exhibitions.

Thackeray was handed over the responsibility of managing the party during the 2002 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, in which the Shiv Sena performed well. The 59-year-old was appointed as the working president of the party in 2003. In 2004, Bal Thackeray announced him as the next party chief.

Having entered politics at a late age, Uddhav has had a short span of time to prove his mettle in his party and the state. Under his capable guidance, his party swept several local and state elections. He has also expanded the party base and network across the state including local bodies and Zila Parishads.

Thackeray organised a successful debt relief campaign for the farmers of the Vidarbha region. The farmers in the region were under heavy debt following a long dry spell in 2007. In the Assembly elections held in October, BJP and Shiv Sena contested the polls together and got 105 and 56 seats, respectively. However, the two parties had a fallout over power-sharing of the chief ministerial post.

Thackeray asserted that the chief minister's post will be on a rotational basis, with the BJP ruling the first half of the five-year term and Sena completing the last half. However, the BJP rejected Sena's claim, saying no such agreement was finalised before the elections and made it clear that Fadnavis would be the chief minister for full five years.

Thackeray then severed his party's 30-year-old ties with the BJP and entered into talks with Congress and NCP, two ideologically different parties, charting an unlikely alliance. Later, the President's Rule was imposed in the state as no party came forward to form the government even as negotiations between Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena progressed. It was finally decided that Thackeray would be the chief minister and head the alliance of Maha Vikas Aghadi.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively on November 23, pushing the state into deeper political chaos and nixing Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP's bid to form government in the state. NCP chief Sharad Pawar quickly clarified that his nephew's decision to join hands with BJP was his personal choice and not of the party's.

After days of quick political developments in the state that included a grand public parade by MLAs from Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP, Fadnavis, and Pawar tendered their resignations. While Fadnavis said his party did not have the numbers to prove majority on the floor of the Assembly, Pawar stepped down due to personal reasons.

Their resignations came after the Supreme Court had asked the Fadnavis government to prove its majority in the 288-member Assembly before 5 pm on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Thackeray was unanimously elected as the leader of the tri-party alliance which met the Governor BS Koshyari to stake claim to form the government in the state.

Thackeray is married to Rashmi Thackeray and has two sons -- Aaditya and Tejas. The 59-year-old's photo book Maharashtra Desha (2010), which is full of breathtaking aerial shots, offers a glimpse into the cultural fabric, physical beauty and historical perspective of Maharashtra.

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