Who after Balasaheb Thackeray?

‘A man’s worth is known in death’. More than 20 lakh people walked with Balasaheb in Mumbai in his last journey, the same people who stood with him for the last 4 decades. Though he started his party as the last leg of the Maharashtra Samyukta Movement, he fought for many issues in his long innings in politics. He took tough stands throughout his career and fought his way up. With just a wave of his finger he could bring the entire state to a halt.

Balasaheb Thackeray was a tall man in Maharashtra politics. His flair for art was possibly one of the most important factors that shaped his personality and ultimately the character of his party. Many say Balasaheb was communal and arrogant, but the qualities he had makes him look very different from most of his peers.
1.  His charismatic personality that he used to build a larger than life image for himself. Though he was not very successful in electoral politics, he was respected by the Delhi leaders and the leaders of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
2. He was a leader who had the guts to speak his heart. He was one of the last among the lot to take responsibility for what they speak. He even told once in an interview that his party did not have any specific ideology as such; they just take up issues as they unfold. He was that candid.

He was one of the last mass leaders our country was left with. His death marks the end of an era in Maharashtra politics. There is not one person left in Maharashtra politics today who can invoke such huge respect on a massive scale. He was the ‘GODFATHER’ of the entire state.

After all this dust settles down, Shiv Sena will have to answer the question of legacy sooner or later. People were still attracted to the Shiv Sena only because of Balasaheb Thackeray. Most of the senior leaders from Balasaheb’s older days have already drifted away from the party. It is going to be a tough ride for Uddhav after his father’s departure. Though Balasaheb appealed to people to support Uddhav and Aditya during his recent Dussehra address, it still remains to be seen whether people will strengthen Uddhav’s hand with the same devotion they had towards Balasaheb.

Raj Thackeray on the other hand was groomed by Balasaheb himself. As a child, he accompanied Balasaheb on his long tours and listened to his long fiery speeches every day. He is a fantastic organizer and has met success with his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Though he appears to have inherited Balasaheb’s charm, Raj has gone out of his comfort zone to appeal to a variety of new class of voters and created a huge fan following of his own. Even in today’s funeral rally he was just quietly walking behind the truck that carried Balasaheb’s body and did not look like a man who was out to claim Balasaheb’s legacy. Shiv Sena needs someone like that today to attract new age voters especially since Balasaheb is no more. The Shiv Sena, MNS and BJP should come together to have a grand electoral alliance to defeat the ruling alliance. 

Is it time for Raj Thackeray to step up to the occasion to become ‘Rajsaheb Thackeray’?