Raj Thackeray Visits Matoshree After 13 Years To Greet Cousin Uddhav On His 65th Birthday
MNS chief Raj Thackeray visited his cousin Uddhav at Matoshree on his 65th birthday, marking his first visit in 13 years. This follows their recent public reunion at a rally opposing 'Hindi imposition'.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray paid a visit to his cousin, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, on Sunday to wish him on his 65th birthday. Raj drove from his residence, Shivteerth in Dadar, to Matoshree, the Thackeray family’s iconic residence in Bandra.
Uddhav, accompanied by his party MP Sanjay Raut, greeted Raj at the entrance of the Matoshree bungalow, news agency PTI reported. Raj presented a large bouquet of red roses to his cousin during the visit.
This marked the first time in 13 years that Raj entered Matoshree, as per NDTV. His last visit was in 2012 during the demise of Balasaheb Thackeray. He was accompanied by senior MNS leaders Bala Nandgaonkar and Nitin Sardesai.
In a post on X, Raj wrote, "On the occasion of my elder brother, Shiv Sena chief Mr. Uddhav Thackeray's birthday, I visited Matoshri, the residence of the late Honorable Mr. Balasaheb Thackeray, to extend my best wishes..."
माझे मोठे बंधू, शिवसेना पक्षप्रमुख श्री. उद्धव ठाकरे यांच्या वाढदिवसानिमित्त त्यांना मातोश्री या
— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) July 27, 2025
कै. माननीय श्री.बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या निवासस्थानी जाऊन शुभेच्छा दिल्या... pic.twitter.com/sFp2Hduubx
The two cousins posed for a photograph inside Matoshree, with a portrait of Balasaheb Thackeray in the background. Another image captured Raj handing over the bouquet to Uddhav on his birthday.
Mumbai | MNS chief Raj Thackeray met Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree today and extended birthday wishes to Uddhav Thackeray
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2025
(Source: Shiv Sena-UBT) pic.twitter.com/jLtrNBAsf1
Speaking about the visit, Uddhav remarked, "Thank you all for the wishes. I truly appreciate them. Raj visited and wished me on my birthday — it means a lot to me. His visit has more than doubled my happiness. There is only one Shiv Sena. There are not two Shiv Senas. Raj Thackeray visited and paid tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray. After a very long time, Raj came here and wished me on my birthday. It really means a lot to me", news agency ANI reported.
Thackeray Cousins' Reunion After Longstanding Rift
The cousins, who were estranged for nearly two decades, have recently rekindled ties. Earlier this month, they shared a stage during a rally in Mumbai on July 5, celebrating the rollback of Hindi language government resolutions (GRs) by the BJP-led Maharashtra government. The event, which focused on Marathi identity and opposition to the “imposition” of Hindi, marked their first political collaboration in almost 20 years.
At the rally, Uddhav Thackeray declared, “We have come together to stay together. We will together capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra,” drawing enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
Raj Thackeray had parted ways with the Shiv Sena in 2005 following disagreements with Uddhav, subsequently launching the MNS. Since then, both leaders have contested elections against one another. Their public reunion earlier this month came amid the BJP’s growing influence in Maharashtra politics and its alliance with Eknath Shinde, who split the Shiv Sena in 2022.
Before Uddhav addressed the rally, Raj quipped that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had achieved something even Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray could not — uniting the two cousins.
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