Uddhav Thackeray is still 'Dingya' for his aunt in Pune

Uddhav and Rashmi Thackeray with Sanjeevani Karandikar

For Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray is the new chief minister but for his 82-year-old aunt in Pune, he is still 'Dingya'. "Balashaheb would have been so proud of him right now," said Sanjeevani Karandikar, the Sena chief's paternal aunt residing in Pune's Kothrud area.

A retired Reserve Bank of India employee, Karandikar resides in Pune with her elder daughter Swati Soman. It was a festive scene at their residence on Thursday evening as Thackeray took his CM's oath at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.

"He has always been a peaceful kid and I have never seen him angry. He is soft-spoken just like his mother. His wife Rashmi has always been the pillar of strength in his life," she described Uddhav, adding that her father Prabodhankar Thackeray (Uddhav's grandfather) had named Uddhav 'Dingya'.

She added that she sees the Sena chief every year without fail on the day of Bhau-bheej (Bhai dooj) in Pune and during Navaratri Ashtami which is celebrated on a grand scale at their Panvel-based home (it is the native place of Prabodhankar Thackeray).

"He is a modern Shraavan Bal and will continue to be so for Maharashtra's benefit too. Even now, he was backstabbed by the BJP but he was never seen angry. He has zero tolerance for malpractices and lies," she added.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates