Overview
- Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray shared a stage in Mumbai on July 5 to celebrate the state cabinet’s decision to withdraw two resolutions mandating Hindi as a third language in primary schools.
- The event at the NSCI Dome was staged without party flags or symbols, emphasizing a broader Marathi solidarity beyond factional divides.
- Both leaders vowed to “stay together” in defending Marathi identity and hinted at a formal electoral partnership ahead of local body elections.
- The BJP responded by amplifying Hindutva themes and plans to highlight the recent Mira Road assault on a non-Marathi speaker to court Hindi- and Gujarati-speaking Hindu voters.
- Party insiders say the BJP’s strategy to balance Marathi pride with pro-Hindutva appeals could consolidate non-Marathi votes in key municipal corporations.