Shiv Sena at 60: Fragmentation of Maharashtra’s ‘Tiger’

Published 19 June 2026 · local

“Thackeray is the breath of Maharashtra!” proclaimed Uddhav Thackeray’s faction Shiv Sena (UBT) on social media as it celebrated its parent party’s sixtieth foundation day

“Thackeray is the breath of Maharashtra!” proclaimed Uddhav Thackeray’s faction Shiv Sena (UBT) on social media as it celebrated its parent party’s sixtieth foundation day on Friday (June 19, 2026). Meanwhile, its rival faction, which inherited the party’s name and its iconic ‘Bow and arrow’ symbol, shared a photo of its leader — Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, declaring ‘an unbroken bond of speeches, ideology, Hindutva, tradition and Shiv Sena’. महाराष्ट्राचा श्वास....ठाकरे! pic.twitter.com/aFAi5kLJZN — ShivSena - शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) June 19, 2026 The two factions have annually held a ‘Dasara Melava’ to declare themselves as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena, chart the party’s future agenda, and take potshots at each other. While the Election Commission awarded the party’s name and symbol to Mr. Shinde, and Speaker Rahul Narwekar recognised it as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena, the Supreme Court is yet to decide on Mr. Thackeray’s challenge to both these decisions. The party which started out to unite the disillusioned ‘Marathi Manoos’ in 1966, stands at its weakest today as Shiv Sena (UBT) faces another rebellion from six out of its nine Lok Sabha MPs. अतूट बंध! वारशाचे, विचारांचे, हिंदुत्त्वाच्या परंपरेचे आणि शिवसेनेचे... Maharashtra: Congress rule to Coalition Rajya (1947-2024) Voice of the ‘Marathi Manoos’ Moved by the plight of the Marathi residents in Mumbai, cartoonist-turned-politician Bal Keshav Thackeray, also known as Balasaheb, founded the Shiv Sena on June 19, 1966. Named as the ‘army of Shivaji Maharaj’, Shiv Sena’s initial targets were Mumbai’s South Indians as Mr. Thackeray claimed that local Marathi-speaking citizens were being discriminated against for jobs in Mumbai. Focusing on discontent among Mumbai’s middle class over declining wages, soaring land and housing prices and in-migration of South Indians, Sena flourished under Congress’ tacit support as it expanded its ideology from Marathi pride to Hindutva Through the years, Chhagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Raj Thackeray and Eknath Shinde have splintered the Shiv Sena often rebelling against Balasaheb and Uddhav Thackeray’s control over the Sena.

All of the above leaders have rebelled again, further eroding the Sena’s power. Bhujbal — The ever-rebelling Shiv Sainik The first chink in Sena’s armour appeared on December 6, 1991, when Sena veteran and former Mumbai Mayor Chhagan Bhujbal raised a revolt with 20 MLAs, declaring themselves as a separate bloc in the Maharashtra Assembly. Named Shiv Sena (B), Mr. Bhujbal and twelve other Sena MLAs later merged with Congress (O), citing Sena’s indifference towards the OBC community. Bhujbal later followed Sharad Pawar as the Maratha strongman broke away from Congress in 1999 to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). In his third rebellion in 2023, Mr. Bhujbal broke ranks with the senior Pawar to side with his nephew Ajit Pawar to break the NCP into two factions. He is currently the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government. Narayan Rane and Thackerays Two rebellions which further shook Sena’s foundation occurred within months in 2005. Narayan Rane, a ‘shakha pramukh’ who climbed the Sena ranks to become Chief Minister in 1999, began publically criticising Balasaheb’s potential successor Mr. Uddhav. By 2005, Mr. Rane along with Sanjay Nirupam quit the party citing nepotism and corruption and joined the Congress. He also attempted to split the Shiv Sena by wooing 40 of its MLAs, but his efforts did not fructify. Since then, Mr. Rane has quit the Congress, jumped ship to BJP, remained a fierce critic of Mr. Uddhav, and retained his stronghold in Ratnagiri – a former Sena bastion. Rane’s exit did provide fertile ground for the exit of Balasaheb’s fiery nephew — Raj Thackeray. Touted as a prospective successor, the younger Thackeray’s ambition was crushed in 2003, when Mr. Uddhav was formally elected as the national executive president in the party’s Mahabaleshwar conclave.