Sharing the stage with his cousin, Uddhav Thackeray, after 20 years of political estrangement, Raj Thackeray mounted a fierce attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying he managed to do what "even Bal Thackeray could not".
The rare reunion of the Thackeray cousins, spurred by their opposition to the controversial three-language formula, had forced the Fadnavis government to roll back its decision to make Hindi mandatory as a third language in primary schools.
Addressing the 'Awaj Marathi Cha' (voice of Marathi) victory rally, Raj said, "Maharashtra is bigger than any politics and fighting. Today, after 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What Balasaheb could not do, Devendra Fadnavis did it... The work of bringing both of us together."
Uddhav Thackeray also played along, saying "We have come together to stay together." It indicates that the two parties might join hands ahead of the upcoming local body elections, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
The venue in Worli drew thousands of Marathi enthusiasts and was teeming with supporters of both parties - a never-seen-before spectacle that could create ripples in Maharashtra's shifting political landscape.
