Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav's open appeal to Rashmi Uddhav Thackeray to join politics has given a new dimension to the saffron party's politics. While speaking at a public rally at Nashik on Tuesday, Mr Jadhav requested Rashmi Thackeray, who was sitting in the front row, to join the party and strengthen it. Significantly, he made this demand in front of Uddhav Thackeray. Mr Jadhav went on to state that Rashmi reminded him of Meenatai aka Maa Saheb, the late wife of the Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. At this point Rashmi became emotional and could be seen wiping her tears.
Rashmi is active behind the scenes and often hears out the female cadres of the party. She has also addressed meetings of the women's wing of the party. However, she has never formally entered politics, preferring to maintain a low profile. But with Jadhav making a public demand it will not in the least be surprising if she succumbs to the pressure and assumes a formal political mantle.
Rashmi Instrumental In Bringing Uddhav Into 'Rajkaran'
In fact, it was Rashmi who was instrumental in Uddhav Thackeray agreeing to step into the chappals of Balasaheb Thackeray when the latter passed away on November 17, 2012. Uddhav was basically passionate only about wildlife photography who felt that "rajkaran" or politics was not his cup of masala chai. But then Rashmi persuaded him that he had best claim to be the political heir of Balasaheb. She argued that the rank and file of the party will accept as their leader only a person who had Balasaheb's blood in his veins. Even though Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj Thackeray was widely believed to be the political successor of the supremo, once Uddhav agreed to don the mantle of the Sena "pramukh" his cousin's succession dreams vanished into thin air.
The first time Rashmi played a crucial role was when she got Uddhav to accept the leadership of the Shiv Sena. The second time was when she suggested to him to accept chief ministership of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Bal Thackeray was very firm that no one from his family would ever occupy any position in government.
Rashmi Pushed Uddhav To Accept CM Post
That is why he first made Manohar Joshi as the chief minister and later replaced him with Narayan Rane even though he himself could have occupied the CM's office on the sixth floor of Mantralaya. Because of this Uddhav was in a dilemma when the Aghadi was in a position to form the government. He first suggested the name of his son Aaditya for the CM's post, but senior leader Sharad Pawar felt that Aaditya, even though very competent, was too young to hold the important position. That is when Rashmi suggested to Uddhav that he should helm the MVA government.
If Rashmi, who is now the editor of the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece ``Saamna", accepts a formal post in the party, it is expected that she would be able to mobilise women votes in the big way in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. After being betrayed by Eknath Shinde and his MLAs, the Sena is pulling all stops to claw its way back to power. And it is at this critical stage that the name of Rashmi has been proposed.
