Mumbai: Today is the birthday of Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of Shiv Sena party, who danced the politics of Maharashtra on his own terms. The full name of Balasaheb Thackeray is Bal Keshav Thackeray. Balasaheb Thackeray remained in public life for nearly 46 years. He never contested any election, nor accepted any political post, yet continued to play an important role in the politics of Maharashtra.
Balasaheb Thackeray, who worked by making Mumbai his stronghold, often made headlines due to his controversial statements. He always lived on his own terms. The politics of Maharashtra used to revolve on one of his gestures. Balasaheb Thackeray was the King Maker of Maharashtra. He used to take all the decisions even when he was not in the government. Born on 23 January 1926 in Pune, Maharashtra, Balasaheb Thackeray started his career as a cartoonist. Balasaheb Thackeray started his career with ‘The Free Press Journal’. After a few days of his career, cartoons made by him also appeared in ‘Times of India’. In 1960, Balasaheb Thackeray quit his job and started his own magazine named ‘Marmik’.
Political party formed in the name of Shiv Sena
Balasaheb Thackeray formed a political party named Shiv Sena in the year 1966. He started a newspaper named ‘Saamana’ to take his ideology to the common people. Apart from Saamana in Marathi language, he also brought out the newspaper ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’ , language. Thus Balasaheb Thackeray was the founder of two major newspapers each , and Marathi in Maharashtra. In 1995, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance formed their government in Maharashtra and they took Shiv Sena to the stairs of power.