Shiv Sena at 60: Fragmentation of Maharashtra’s ‘Tiger’
The Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra is facing significant internal fragmentation as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. Rival factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde continue to battle for the party's legacy and political legitimacy.
Why it matters
The ongoing split within a major regional political party impacts the stability and political landscape of Maharashtra, India's most industrialized state.
“Thackeray is the breath of Maharashtra!” proclaimed Uddhav Thackeray’s faction Shiv Sena (UBT) on social media as it celebrated its parent party’s sixtieth foundation day on Friday (June 19, 2026). Meanwhile, its rival faction, which inherited the party’s name and its iconic ‘Bow and arrow’ symbol, shared a photo of its leader — Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, declaring ‘an unbroken bond of speeches, ideology, Hindutva, tradition and Shiv Sena’.
The article provides a historical overview and presents the perspectives of both factions without taking a side.
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