Ram To Hindutva: Uddhav Invokes Balasaheb Thackeray’s Playbook Amid Jolts From Shinde, BJP

Last Updated:July 06, 2026, 17:07 IST

Reeling from recent jolts and defections, Uddhav Thackeray has pivoted back to the original Shiv Sena playbook

Rudraksh on the wrist, Ram Raksha in hand, and orange kurta — This is how Uddhav Thackeray launched his ‘Ram Raksha’ agitation, a major ideological counter-offensive to reclaim his father Balasaheb Thackeray’s fierce Hindutva legacy, amid a wave of severe defections to the Eknath Shinde Sena.

Will pivoting back to the original Shiv Sena playbook by weaponising the Ayodhya Ram Mandir controversy against the ruling alliance help the party after the loss of key Lok Sabha MPs and legislators to the Shinde camp?

THE ‘RAM RAKSHA’ COUNTER-STRATEGY

Facing intense political isolation after the split with the Congress for civic elections and an imminent threat of further defections, Thackeray launched the statewide ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’.

Uddhav Thackeray’s strategy aims to dismantle the BJP’s monopoly on the Hindu voter base through specific narrative pivots:

Targeting the Donation Row: Capitalising on a police investigation into alleged financial irregularities and embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, Thackeray accused the BJP of commercialising faith and leading a “Hindutva of looting temples."

The ‘BJP-Mukt Ram’ Pitch: He coined the slogan for a “BJP-Mukt Ram" (Ram free of the BJP), declaring that Lord Ram belongs to all devotees, not just a single political party.

Invoking Balasaheb’s Playbook: Addressing crowd gatherings outside Hanuman temples, Thackeray explicitly revived his father’s iconic slogan—"Garv se kaho hum Hindu hain" (Say with pride we are Hindus). He reminded voters that it was the original Shiv Sainiks who spilled blood and participated in the initial Kar Seva movement, long before the BJP rose to dominant national power.

“Hypnotised" vs. “Awakened" Hindus: Thackeray targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that while Balasaheb Thackeray originally “awakened" the Hindu community, the current regime has “hypnotised" them to mask corporate and political corruption.

THE BATTLE FOR BALASAHEB’S LEGACY

Eknath Shinde: Controls official name and party symbol. Claims that Thackeray’s alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi was betrayal of Hindutva.

Uddhav Sena UBT: Now called the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). Claims the ‘Thackeray brand’ and bloodline. Projects Shinde as traitor who sold out to the BJP.

UDDHAV THACKERAY’s 3 GOALS

Through this aggressive Hindutva shift, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is pursuing three critical objectives:

• Stemming Defections: By escalating the ideological conflict, Uddhav is attempting to make it morally difficult for remaining party workers and leaders to defect to the Shinde camp.
• Peeling Away RSS & Core Hindu Voters: The campaign targets traditional, devout Hindu voters who may feel uneasy about corruption allegations surrounding sacred institutions.
• Differentiating “Real" vs. “Power-Hungry" Hindutva: Thackeray asserts that “real Hindutva teaches humanity," distinguishing his brand from what he describes as the BJP’s tool for legislative engineering and breaking rival regional parties.

POLITICAL REACTION

The ruling Mahayuti alliance has dismissed Uddhav Thackeray’s shift as political opportunism. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remarked that he was glad Thackeray “finally remembered Ram" after years of working alongside secular allies like the Congress and NCP.

Concurrently, Eknath Shinde’s faction maintains that they are the true guardians of Balasaheb’s ideology, labelling Uddhav’s renewed stance as a desperate reaction to a shrinking party base.

WILL IT HELP SENA UBT?

Shiv Sena (UBT) is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition with secular parties like the Congress and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Aggressive Hindutva posturing could create friction or ideological discomfort within the alliance.

Sceptical voters and political analysts note that since the UP government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already arrested eight suspects linked to the case, the agitation might lose steam quickly if the legal process moves forward smoothly.

With agency inputs

About the Author

Manjiri Joshi

At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci...Read More

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