The deteriorating health of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray has prompted the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena cadres to seek divine intervention. Since most of the party workers and leaders owed their allegiance to their parent organisation Shiv Sena before they crossed over to the MNS, floated by senior Thackeray's nephew, the failing health of the patriarch has made them worried.
Commenting on Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's purported extension of an olive branch to Maharashtra chief Raj Thackeray, the Nationalist Congress Party said if the estranged Thackeray cousins wanted to team up, one of them would have to shed his ideology.
"I thought why not the son of a person who had contributed for Maharashtra should become the CM and I insisted Uddhav Thackeray to become the chief minister. Fadnavis had worked with Uddhav so he knows how Uddhav is. He should stop questioning repeatedly about how Uddhav became CM," the NCP chief said.
A Delhi court on Thursday asked police to lodge an FIR against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly branding Bihar natives as infiltrators in Mumbai and threatening them to throw out of the state.
Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Monday claimed their leaders had never given hate speech and they only highlighted key issues of the day.
The Delhi police on Saturday told a court that it faces several legal hurdles in lodging a First Information Report against Maharahstra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly branding Bihar natives in Mumbai as infiltrators.
A case was filed against Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, party executive president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navanirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for making inflammatory speeches against migrants from Bihar and its people.
Unfazed by strident criticism of his cousin Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray over his anti-Bihari remarks, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday sought a permit system to check the influx of Bihari migrants into Mumbai.
Fearing reprisals against Maharashtrians residing in northern states due to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's recent comments against Biharis, Republican Party of India-Athvale leader Ramdas Athavale on Monday appealed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to protect Marathis in his state.
Raj Thackeray's comments threatening to brand Biharis as "infiltrators" have fuelled a controversy with leaders from various political parties slamming the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief over the issue.
A 19-year-old boy from neighbouring Thane district, detained on suspicion of posting an "objectionable" Facebook comment against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, was let off after police found that a "fake account" was used by some persons in the teenager's name.
Maharashtra's Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde refuted reports of an alliance of the Shiv Sena-BJP and the Republican Party of India (Athawale) with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Whether Thackeray's death would bring together Uddhav and his estranged cousin, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, to avoid a division in Marathi votes, remains to be seen.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday asked Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to mend ways and desist from the smear campaign against the Nationalist Congress Parry or face a "befitting reply".
Meanwhile, Shiv Sainiks have organised a 'puja' at the Siddhivinayak Temple at Prabha Devi in Central Mumbai to pray for Uddhav's speedy recovery.
The Congress in Maharashtra is making all efforts to woo the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to back United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee for the presidential poll on Thursday.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has extended an olive branch to his cousin Raj Thackeray, who went on to form the Maharashtra Narvnirman Sena in 2006.
Modi and his corporate sector supporters have identified Maharashtra as a key state where the BJP-Shiv Sena can pick up more seats. In fact, it is estimated that if the Thackeray cousins join hands, the NDA partners can improve their tally from the present 23 seats by adding another eight to 10 Lok Sabha seats, reports Anita Katyal.
In a 'major breakthrough', the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a policeman and a bookie in connection with the alleged murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, an official said on Sunday, adding Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze had played a key role in the crime and emerged as the prime accused.
The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Election Commission's reply to a plea for de-recognition of the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena as political parties for the alleged hate speeches delivered by their top leaders recently.
A day after nephew and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray backed cartoonist Aseem Trivedi who was arrested on charges of sedition, Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray on Wednesday came out in his support and opposed the sedition law.
Traditional Hindu priests of the Vishnupad Temple in Bihar's Gaya town -- known as Gaywal Pandas -- are busy trying to find out if Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, his son Uddhav Thackeray and his nephew and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray were originally from Bihar.
The Janata Dal - United on Tuesday hit out at Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray after he came out in full support of his cousin Raj Thackeray's stand against migrants, saying Biharis are in Mumbai because of their hard work and have full rights to remain in the country's commercial capital.
A complaint case was on Monday filed in Nalanda district court against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his hate speech against the Bihari people.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday launched a veiled attack on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, led by his estranged nephew Raj Thackeray, following publication of a photo showing an MNS leader with a functionary of Raza Academy.
An auto rickshaw driver was arrested on Saturday for allegedly making a fake call claiming that three explosives had been planted to eliminate Maharashra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday during his rally, sending the security agencies into a tizzy, the police said.
The ashes of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray were on Friday immersed in the Arabian Sea by his son and party executive president Uddhav Thackeray.
Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore reports that many want Uddhav and Raj Thackeray to bury the hatchet and form a united front for the betterment of the Marathi manoos
Back in January 2006, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray granted the Sena daily newspaper Saamna Editor Sanjay Raut an interview where he spoke his mind about his nephew Raj's departure from the party.
Asking the state government to bring transparency in toll collection at various nakas, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday appealed to the people from the state not to pay toll henceforth.
Asking the state government to bring transparency in toll collection at various nakas, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday appealed to the people from the state not to pay toll henceforth.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday said one should not read too much into his visit to ailing cousin and Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray at Lilavati Hospital.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray on Thursday met his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who is not keeping good health.
In the second part of our three-part series, we bring you aerial photographs taken by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray of Mumbai.
Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been in the news for its aggressive stance against 'outsiders,' who the MNS says, deny employment opportunities to Maharashtrians. "We are not opposed to other communities, this is a wrong perception about us," MNS leader Nitin Sardesai insists in an exclusive interview with Rediff.com
Explaining what makes nephews turn against their uncles, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray launched a veiled attack on estranged nephew Raj, saying nephews get 'tickled' when they see their uncles being hailed.
Estranged Thackeray cousins were locked in a nasty spat on Tuesday with Uddhav calling Raj disloyal after he took potshots at the Shiv Sena executive president.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackrey on Monday 1came under all round fire for threatening to throw out Biharis from Maharashtra even as a case was filed against him in Nalanda for his hate speech.
Alleging that Hindi news channels were distorting his statements, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said they should not air news without understanding issues.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray on Monday said he would go ahead with his protest march on Tuesday against the August 11 violence even though the police have denied permission for it.