Bal Keshav Thackeray formed the right-wing Shiv Sena party in 1966 to advocate for Marathi interests and language in Maharashtra. Starting as a political cartoonist, he led the party in an alliance with BJP that took power in Maharashtra in 1995. Though controversial for stoking communalism, Thackeray was a powerful force in the state's politics. His nephew Raj and sons Uddhav and Aaditya have all played leadership roles in the party and its youth wing following Bal Thackeray's death.

2. Bal Keshav Thackeray is known as a fiery right wing leader of Maharashtra. A cartoonist by profession,
Thackeray formed ‘Shiv Sena’ that espoused the cause of Maratha interest and Marathi language.
After a long struggle, Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, in alliance with BJP, succeeded in snatching power from
Congress in 1995. The Shiv Sena-BJP government ruled Maharashtra from 1995-99.
Bal Thackeray is one of those controversial politicians of India who is blamed for fanning communal
and regional chauvinism in Maharashtra. But he is a force to reckon with in Maharashtra politics.
In his early days, Bal Thackeray targeted Gujaratis, Marwaris, and southern Indians in Mumbai for
grabbing jobs and depriving native Mumbaikars of their livelihood.
After that he championed the cause of aggressive Hindutva and targeted Muslims for their alleged anti-
Hindu mindset. Recently, his party targeted North Indians, especially those belonging to UP and Bihar,
for infiltrating Mumbai and snatching jobs from the natives.
Bal thackeray’s nephew Raj Thackeray used to be his lieutenant not very long ago but he parted ways
with Bal Thackeray when the senior Thackeray decided to anoint his son Uddhav as the second-in-
command of Shiv Sena. Today, Raj is heading his own party – Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Thackeray family has played an important in Maharashtra Politics right from the days of separate
statehood movement.

4. The story of Thackerays began with the arrival
of Keshav Sitaram Thackeray to Bombay.
Keshav Sitaram Thackeray was also known as
Prabodhankar Thackeray because of his articles
in his fortnightly magazine named Prabodhan.

5. Keshav Thackeray was born in a lower-middle class Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu family .Keshav
Thackeray had two sons – Bal Thackeray and Shrikant Thackeray

6. Keshav was a social activist and a prolific writer. The British tolerated him because of his progressive ideas
about the empowerment of women and his strident opposition to the caste system.

7. Referred to as the first family of Maharashtra politics, the Thackerays played a vital role in the Samyukta
Maharashtra movement. Leading from the front was Keshav Thackeray, one of the five prominent leaders
of the movement.

8. His sons Bal and Shrikant participated by contributing articles and cartoons to local publications.A prolific writer, Keshav
penned plays, biographies and booklets to create awareness about the Maharashtra movement. He became actively
involved with the movement in 1951. Supporting the demand to include Dang district in Maharashtra instead of Gujarat,
he appealed for Dang Day to be observed on June 3, 1951.
Keshav used his diplomatic and persuasive skills in bringing together leaders of all political parties in the best interest of
Maharashtra movement. Keshav brought all these leaders under one umbrella - Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti.
It was launched in 1955 to pursue the demand for the formation of Maharashtra, with Mumbai and Belgaum as parts of
it. Keshav led from the front and was even arrested during this movement.
Bal Thackeray, at the time, worked as a cartoonist in the ‘Free Press Journal’. He also contributed to Marathi publications,
including Navyug, under the pseudonym Mavla. Bal Thackeray supported the demands made by the samiti and attacked
the Congress through his cartoons.

9. Then chief minister Morarji Desai, Bombay Congress chief SK Patil and senior leader Yashwantrao Chavan
were his pet targets. His focus shifted to Desai after 15 people were killed in the police firing on November
21, 1955, during a morcha at the Flora Fountain (now Hutatma Chowk). Balasaheb sketched Desai as a Nar
Bhakshak (maneater) in his cartoon. The cartoon showed Desai sitting on a pile of human bodies, saying, “I
am a pure vegetarian.” He also mocked Chavan’s statement that Nehru was bigger than Maharashtra.

10. Balasaheb’s younger brother Shrikant, too, drew cartoons for Navyug during the movement.
Like his brother, Shrikant also targeted the Congress, especially Nehru and Desai.

11. Bal Thackeray lost his wife Meena to a heart attack in September 1996. His eldest son
Bindumadhav died in a road accident on 20 April 1996.

12. His other son,Jaidev, had parted ways with Thackeray in 1995 over ideological
differences when the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance was in power. He has
kept himself away from politics all these years. Jaidev divorced his wife Smitha Thackeray
who is a renowned personality in Maharashtra and owns a TV production house

13. Uddhav Thackeray, Bal Thackeray’s youngest son, is the executive president of Shiv
Sena and is slated to succeed Bal Thackeray as and when he calls it a day

14. Saamana is a marathi language newspaper owned by the Shiv Sena, a political party in
Maharashtra, India. The Chief editor is Bal Thackeray and the Executive editor is Sanjay Raut

15. Shiv Sena (Marathi: Śiv Senā, meaning Shiva's Army, also SS), is a political organisation in India
founded on 19 June 1966 by political cartoonist Bal Thackeray. The party originally emerged
out of a movement in Mumbai demanding preferential treatment for Maharashtrians over
migrants to the city. The party operates as a network of street gangs and has a powerful hold
over the Bollywood film industry.[5] It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav
Thackeray.
Although the party's primary base is still in Maharashtra, it has tried to expand to a pan-Indian
base. Gradually the party moved from solely advocating a pro-Marathi ideology, to one
supporting a broader Hindu nationalist agenda[citation needed] as it aligned itself with the
Bharatiya Janata Party. The party has taken part in numerous Maharashtra state governments
at several times and was a coalition partner in the National Democratic Alliance cabinet that
ruled India between 1998-2004. Members of Shiv Sena are referred to as Shiv Sainiks.

16. The 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson had a tryst with this celluloid city 13 years ago, when he
mesmerised thousands of Mumbaikars with his performance at a concert. In this photo
Jackson is seen with Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray.
Jackson performed at a packed concert in Mumbai in 1996. The event was organised by Shiv
Udyog Sena, an outfit floated by then Shiv Sena leader Raj Thackeray with the objective of
providing jobs to 27 lakh youth in Maharashtra.

17. Uddhav Thackeray (born 27 July 1960) is the executive president of the Shiv Sena, a right-wing,
Marathi ethnocentric regional political party based in the Indian state of Maharashtra. He was given
this role in 2004, taking over from his father and party founder, Hindu nationalist politician Balasaheb
Thackeray.
Earlier, Uddhav was looking after Saamana (a daily Marathi newspaper) while being actively involved in
election campaigning activities. The party won the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation election in
2002 and, thereafter, he was appointed as the party working president in 2003. Differences between
Thackeray and former Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane culminated in the expulsion of Rane from the
Shiv Sena. Another split in the Sena came when Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray had a falling-
out, leading to Raj leaving the Shiv Sena in 2006 to form his own party, the Maharashtra Navnirman
Sena.

18. Aaditya Thackeray (Born: June 13, 1990) is the son of Uddhav Thackeray , Executive President
of Shiv Sena, and grandson of Balasaheb Thackeray.[1] He is currently head of Yuva Sena , a
youth wing of Shiv Sena.
Aaditya established the Yuva Sena on 17th October, 2010 and it has units across
Maharashtra,Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir.
His first book of poems, My Thoughts in White and Black, was published in 2007. The
following year, he turned lyricist and released a private album Ummeed, for which he wrote
all the eight songs.

20. www.chiefsworld.activeboard.com