As Shiv Sena marks 60 years since its founding by Bal Thackeray on June 19, 1966, the party is facing yet another rebellion.
Just four years after Eknath Shinde’s revolt split the party and wrested control of its name and symbol, now, six of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray‘s nine Lok Sabha MPs are likely to call it quits, to align with the Shinde-led faction.
The latest turmoil is the newest chapter in a six-decade political journey that saw Shiv Sena evolve from a Mumbai-centric regional movement into one of Maharashtra’s most influential political forces, while also witnessing multiple splits, leadership transitions and shifting alliances.
Also Read: Second Sena split in 4 years: How Thackeray’s party is unravelling again
A Timeline of Shiv Sena’s 60-Year Journey
June 19, 1966: Bal Thackeray founded Shiv Sena. A year later, the party won its first civic polls in Thane and entered Mumbai’s civic politics in 1968.
1985: Shiv Sena stormed to power in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the first time, laying the foundation for its long dominance over Mumbai’s civic administration.
1990: The party allied with the BJP for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, won 52 seats and emerged as the principal opposition force in the state.
1991: Senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal engineered the first major split in the party, leaving with 18 MLAs to join the Congress.
1995: The Sena-BJP alliance formed the government in Maharashtra for the first time, with Manohar Joshi becoming chief minister.
January 2003: Bal Thackeray appointed his son Uddhav Thackeray as the party’s executive president, signalling a generational transition in the organisation.
2005: Raj Thackeray, Bal Thackeray’s nephew, resigned from Shiv Sena following differences within the party and later launched the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
November 2012: Bal Thackeray died at the age of 86 following a cardiac arrest. Uddhav Thackeray formally took over as party president.
2014: Shiv Sena contested the Maharashtra Assembly elections independently and won 63 seats. Despite initial differences, it joined the BJP-led government six months later.
September-November 2019: After winning the Assembly elections alongside the BJP, Shiv Sena split from its longtime ally over the chief minister’s post. Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with the Congress and NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and became chief minister.
June 2022: In the biggest rebellion in the party’s history, senior leader Eknath Shinde led a revolt that brought down the MVA government. Shinde subsequently became chief minister as part of the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance.
February 2023: The Election Commission awarded the “Shiv Sena” name and the iconic bow-and-arrow symbol to the Shinde faction. Uddhav Thackeray’s camp was renamed Shiv Sena (UBT) and allotted the flaming torch symbol.
February 2026: The Thackeray-led faction lost control of the BMC, ending a decades-long association between the party and Mumbai’s civic administration.
June 2026: Reports surfaced that six of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs had sought to form a separate group, fuelling speculation that they could eventually align with the Shinde-led Sena. If realised, the move would mark yet another significant split in a party whose history has increasingly been defined by internal rebellions.
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