Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday visited Bandra's Matoshree after a gap of 13 years and wished Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on the latter’s 65th birthday. "On the occasion of my elder brother, Shiv Sena chief Mr. Uddhav Thackeray's birthday, I visited Matoshri, the residence of the late Honourable Mr. Balasaheb Thackeray, to extend my best wishes," Raj posted on his X account alongside a picture of him and Uddhav.
This visit marks Raj's first formal return to Matoshree since his departure from the Shiv Sena in 2006. He was accompanied by senior MNS leaders Bala Nandgaonkar and Nitin Sardesai. The two cousins posed for photographs beside a portrait of the late Balasaheb Thackeray. Earlier, this month, Raj and Uddhav shared the stage together for the first time in 20 years to protest against the three-language row and proclaimed the state was larger than their fued.
Raj Thackeray's MNS and the Uddhav Sena declared a joint rally after the Maharashtra government backtracked on its plan to make Hindi the third language in schools at the primary level in Maharashtra.During that rally, Uddhav even suggested the possibility of a political alliance for the next civic elections."We have come together to stay together. We will together capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra," Uddhav Thackeray had said, while evoking loud cheers from the crowd.In 2005, Raj Thackeray quit the Shiv Sena citing the differences with Uddhav and formed his own party - the MNS. Raj had contested elections against Uddhav.