Raj Thackeray, aspiring CM of Maharashtra

New Delhi: Very few people know that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Shrikant Thackeray's original name was Swararaj Shrikant Thackeray. And it was the late Bal Thackeray who asked him to change his name to Raj Thackeray.Raj Thackeray's father Shrikant Thackeray was a passionate music director. He gave musical names to his wife as well as his children. He named his wife Madhuwanti, which is a Raag in Hindustani Classical music. He named his daughter Jayjaywanti which is also a Raag.And the son was named Swararaj, which means the king of musical notes.Sharmila Thackeray, Raj Thackeray's wifeRaj Thackeray with his wife SharmilaAs a child, Swararaj learnt the Tabla, the Guitar and the violin. Swararaj loved music but it did not click as a career for him because he was more inclined towards drawing cartoons. Swararaj Thackeray started contributing cartoons for ‘Marmik', the weekly family magazine when he was in school. One fine day, Balasaheb told him, “I started my career as a cartoonist with the name, ‘Bal Thackeray'. You should start yours as ‘Raj Thackeray'.” And that's how Swararaj Thackeray became Raj Thackeray.Raj Thackeray was born on 14 June 1968 to Shrikant Thackeray (younger brother of Bal Thackeray) and Kunda Thackeray (younger sister of Bal Thackeray's wife Meena Thackeray).Raj Thackeray's son (Amit) and daughter (Urvashi)Raj Thackeray did his schooling from Bal Mohan Vidyamandir, Mumbai and completed his graduation in fine arts from the t J J School of Arts Mumbai. Raj Thackeray started his career with Shiv Sena under guidance of his uncle Bal Thackeray. In 1997 he started his career with the Shiv Sena Udyog Sena and tried to strengthen his overall political image as a youth leader.He raised funds for the employment through various sources. A major of this was the concert of 1996 which were organized which starred pop icon Michael Jackson and Lata Mangasherkar. These concerts asserted an image for the party and also propagated the Sena's popular culture that intrinsically was able to consolidate the party against the next generation.Raj Thackeray and family at a wedding ceremonyRaj Thackeray emerged as one of themost influential leaders of Shiv Sena. He actually started functioning as the right hand of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. With the rise in his stature, Raj got more ambitious and started considering himself as the political heir of Bal Thackeray. Here it is pertinent to point out that Raj had always tried to model himself after his uncle Bal Thackeray. Like Bal Thackeray, Raj was acerbic in his comments and was always disdainful towards his opponents. Once upon a time, even for political observers, Raj Thackeray appeared to be the perfect replacement for the ageing Bal Thackeray.Raj Thackeray with his uncle Bal ThackerayRaj Thackeray was hugely disappointed when his uncle and the then Shiv Sena supremo declared his son Uddhav Thackeray as his political heir in January 2003. Uddhav Thackeray got the complete control over the organization as Bal Thackeray made him the working president of Shiv Sena. Raj was crestfallen as he considered himself to be the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray's legacy. In 2004, Balasaheb Thackeray announced him as the next party Chief, choosing him over Raj Thackeray, who everyone expected to succeed Balasaheb Thackeray.Raj tried to adjust himself to the new situation but could not continue for long in the party. In January of 2006 he handed his resignation from the Shiv Sena. He did so alleging that the party was run by clerks and that was the pertinent reason for the party's decline.He formed his own party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the MNS had fielded 10 Lok Sabha candidates, 8 against Shiv Sena candidates, in Maharashtra but could not win a single seat. Raj Thackeray is an avid supporter of Narendra Modi and had declared his support to Modi as PM.After the drubbing in Lok Sabha elections, Raj Thackeray has said that he will contest the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections and that he will be the candidate for CM post.This will be for the first time that a person from Thackeray family will be contesting assembly elections.Mr Thackeray is married to Sharmila, the daughter of a Marathi filmmaker. They have a son, Amit, and daughter, Urvashi.