The Unwanted Thackeray Bahu

The Congress does not want Smita Thackeray and the Sena won’t take her back.

Smita Thackeray was once the favourite daughter-in-law of Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray. When the party was in power, she could decide on the fate of chief ministers. Even so, when last year she announced her decision to join the Congress, no one was surprised. She was doing it to spite Uddhav Thackeray, who, having taken over the reins of the party, did not want her near the Sena or the Thackeray residence. 

But what was supposed to have been a cakewalk into the Congress has now become a humiliating situation. The Congress leadership in Delhi has put her induction on indefinite hold, and there is no way the Shiv Sena is having her back. Smita has met Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh often to express her desire to work with ‘Madam’ (Sonia Gandhi), but a whole bunch of senior Congressmen in Maharashtra, including Singh, are not keen to humour her. 

One reason is said to be the fact that she’s a ‘former’ Thackeray, having divorced Jaidev, and has no public standing. Every time Smita renews her efforts to enter the Congress, they shoot it down. “How many Sainiks can she get along with her? Her induction will not benefit the Congress in any way,” says one party functionary. 

Singh says that he had stopped pursuing the matter with his leaders in Delhi. “The party has not given any signal. For now, there is nothing that is happening on the Smita Thackeray front,” he says.  

Meanwhile, Congressmen have advised her to groom her son to enter the Youth Congress and work with Rahul Gandhi. “There is ample space there. He has a better chance than she does,” says a senior leader.

About The Author

Haima Deshpande