Mumbai, Jan. 14 -- The upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections are widely being viewed as a decisive political moment for the Thackeray family, whose identity, influence, and rise have long been intertwined with Mumbai. From the era of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, the family positioned itself as the principal voice of the city's Marathi-speaking middle class, shaping Mumbai's street politics, cultural discourse, and civic power structures.
Mumbai has remained the political base and strength of the Thackerays, with the Shiv Sena's ascent closely linked to the city's mills, chawls, expanding urban economy, and above all, control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the richest municipal body in India. From 1997 ...