The Thackeray cousins had parted ways in 2005. Ever since, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Shiv Sena (undivided till 2022 and later the UBT camp) have found themselves on opposite sides of Maharashtra’s political spectrum. Both parties’ leaders have frequently taken veiled digs at each other, using public platforms to criticise policies, leadership styles, and political choices without taking names, and direct confrontations have been rare.

With the BJP-led Mahayuti government attempting to introduce Hindi subtly into Maharashtra’s school education, the move has not only met with backlash, but has even led to the unprecedented scene of Raj and Uddhav sharing a dais at the ‘Marathi victory rally’.

Expectations are high not only within both Sena factions, but among a large section of Marathi-speaking people too, of a formal reunion between the Thackeray cousins. Many in political corridors feel that a reunion of the two Sena factions has the potential to revive the core ideology of Marathi-asmita-driven politics. 
Though the effect may not be across Maharashtra, it would certainly have an impact in Mumbai, Thane and Nashik areas, which are known to be cosmopolitan regions with strong Marathi pockets.