Uddhav Thackeray: Good Samaritan of Maharashtra

As Maharashtra prepares to catch the sight of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, becoming the 29th Chief Minister while he takes the oath of office and secrecy in the presence of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai, six other lawmaking ministers from the alliance named Maha Vikas Aghadi have sworn in today.

Here are some known facts about the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra:
According to the National Congress Party (NCP) Sources, Ajit Pawar is likely to be the Deputy Chief Minister, Deputy speaker will be from NCP whereas the Assembly speaker will be from the Congress party.

Sustaining the hustle ahead of the assembly poll results in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena breathes easy as the party releasing information of their Chief, which clearly describes his interesting journey into the political ground of Maharashtra.

Even after being the son of Balasaheb Thackeray, founder of Shiv Sena, he started his political career 40 years later. Politics was secondary to Uddhav as he was into wildlife photography.

Earlier, he was an unsung name outside the party. But, a remarkable incident helped Sena Chief gain the attention. While he was managing the party, Shiv Sena outshined BMC election in 2002. His leadership skills encouraged his father to convince him for increased involvement in the party. Later, he was declared as the working president of the party.

Due to deteriorating health of Balasaheb Thackeray, he announced him as the next party Chief in 2004, choosing him over Raj Thackeray. He has been part of Shiv Sena ever since.

In 2006, Uddhav became the Editor-in-Chief of Saamana, the Mararthi Newspaper which was earlier led by Balasaheb Thackeray.

Apart from his admirable political leadership qualities that helped the party to win various local and state elections, Uddhav is also known for his work in Maharashtra. From basic issues like Mumbai potholes to curing malaria with medical centres, he tried to subdue the problems faced by the people of Maharashtra.

Like in 2007, when the farmers of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra were burdened with heavy debt during the long dry spell. To improve their conditions, Uddhav along with the party organized a successful debt relief campaign for the farmers as the state and central government failed to do the same. Such initiatives of social work have paved the way for the Sena to reach the Guinness book of world record.

Uddhav Thackeray has shaped the political scenario of Maharashtra government. In such a short span of time, his efforts to transform the people’s perception towards the party has paid off, as now Shiv Sena is seen as an maturely evolved party with a quotient of empathy.