Raj Thackeray: The tiger cub
In December 2002, Bal Thackeray convinced Raj of the need to accept Uddhav as party leader. A month later, Raj himself proposed Uddhav's name for the post.
Years passed with differences between the two simmering constantly. There were frequent clashes, but none were openly antagonistic. Then, in September 2004, Raj said he was not averse to becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra. He hinted at the possibility of joining electoral politics in the future, even though he didn't contest elections that year.
By now, the Sena had begun to take sides. Hardliners had begun gravitating towards Raj. Moderates moved towards Uddhav. Battle lines were being drawn.
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