All eyes are now on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as he assumes the mantle of Chief Minister of Maharashtra. But it is impossible to dismiss the contributions of Maharashtra's new First Lady, Rashmi Thackeray.
Uddhav's wife is often thought to be one of the driving forces behind the Sena chief's rise.
Reportedly, called "vahinisaheb" by many in the party, she is said to be one of his key advisors.
Born in a middle-class household in Dombivli, Rashmi first met Uddhav while studying at the JJ School of Art in Mumbai. They were classmates.
The youngest of three daughter-in-laws, she was reportedly close to Uddhav's mother, Meena tai.
According to reports, Rashmi prefers to stay in the background but is in the know about everything. The women party workers and leaders also often meet with her.
When they had first met, According to a report by The Quint, Uddhav had no interest in politics and was content to follow his passion for wildlife photography.
Reportedly, for the first two years of their marriage the duo lived on their own, before shifting back to Matoshree. In those early years, Uddhav Thackeray had started an advertising agency called 'Chowrang'. That venture was short lived.
According to the report, by the age of 40 he was inspired to enter politics by his wife.
According to an Hindustan Times report, Rashmi wanted Uddhav to take up the reins of the state in 1999, if the party returned to power.
According to reports, she played a big role in convincing Bal Thackeray to make room for Uddhav as his heir, rather than his cousin Raj Thackeray.
More recently, she is also credited with being one of the driving forces behind her son's political debut and electoral campaign.
Rashmi is well versed with the party and has been called the "organisational thread" between many party leaders and even outside.
Reportedly, she had pushed for Aaditya’s name as Maharashtra's deputy CM in case a BJP-Sena government had come to pass.
According to The Quint, Rashmi also has several business ventures to her name.
