Shiv Sena Factions Hold Separate Foundation Day Events Amid Political Realignments
The Shiv Sena, founded by Bal Thackeray on 19 June 1966, marks its 60th foundation day this year. The party, however, is now divided into two factions: one led by Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray, and the other by Eknath Shinde, who broke away in 2022. Both factions are holding separate events in Mumbai—Uddhav’s at Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion, and Shinde’s at NESCO Centre in Goregaon.
The split has deepened following a fresh round of defections. In recent weeks, six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs from Uddhav’s faction crossed over to Shinde’s camp. This marks the largest parliamentary shift since the 2022 rebellion that toppled Uddhav’s government. Shinde’s faction now has 13 MPs in the Lok Sabha, up from seven.
For Uddhav Thackeray, the defections pose a significant challenge. His faction had shown resilience in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning 8 of 13 direct contests against Shinde’s faction. However, the subsequent Maharashtra Assembly elections in late 2024 saw the faction reduced to 20 seats, and the January 2026 BMC elections, while yielding 65 seats (compared to Shinde’s 29), did not reverse the trend.
Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, is using the foundation day event to project strength. His faction’s increased parliamentary numbers bolster his claim to be the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s legacy. Shinde has argued that Uddhav deviated from the party’s original ideology, a charge his supporters repeat.
The rivalry between the two factions has reshaped Maharashtra politics. Uddhav’s faction is part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, while Shinde’s faction is allied with the BJP in the Mahayuti coalition. The foundation day events are expected to feature speeches reaffirming each faction’s ideological position and political strategy.
Observers note that the split reflects broader trends in Indian politics, where party divisions often centre on leadership and ideological claims. The Shiv Sena’s 60th foundation day thus becomes a spectacle of two competing visions, each asserting legitimacy through the legacy of its founder.
