On the 94th birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, his son Uddhav and nephew Raj competed with each other to reclaim the saffron title. At the MNS convention on Thursday, extending support to CAA and NRC, Raj declared that his hard-core Hindutva DNA hasn't undergone a change. Uddhav, who broke alliance with the BJP to join hands with secular parties, Congress and NCP, last year, said saffron still remained an integral part of his party.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj, who has seen many ups and downs in the past 14 years of his party's existence, played yet another gamble to be relevant in the state politics by supporting the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). This has given the BJP a much-needed boost as well as a much-feared sense of dividing Hindu votes that would largely go the Sena and BJP combine. As far as Mumbai in particular and Maharashtra in general are concerned, the BJP has found a voice in Raj that should be louder than its well-oiled machinery.