Bal Thackarey started off as a cartoonist for the Mumbai-based Free Press Journal before becoming one of the most powerful and prominent politicians in the nation.
If rumours are to be believed, Bal Thackeray's father spelled his surname “Thakre”. Bal Thackeray, a huge admirer of British author William Makepeace Thackeray, changed it to “Thackeray”.
He formed the political party 'Shiv Sena' on June 19, 1966 with an intent to fight for the rights of the people living in Maharashtra.
Thackeray was banned from voting and running for office for six years in 1999. He cast his first vote in the 2007 BMC elections after the ban was lifted in 2005.
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