As the Shiv Sena completed six decades of its turbulent political journey on June 19, the party found itself confronting yet another split — its fifth major split in six decades. The crisis raises fundamental questions about leadership, succession, ideology and the future of both the Thackeray family and Maharashtra’s regional politics.

Last week, on June 19, the Shiv Sena marked its 60th anniversary. Since its inception, in the past 6o years, the party has experienced several splits, with the latest occurring on June 26.  Shiv Sena’s 60th anniversary is contested by two factions-Thackeray’s Sena (UBT) and Eknath Shinde’s Sena-each claiming the party’s original ideological legacy.

On June 26, a significant political rift emerged within the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) when six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs defected to join Eknath Shinde’s ruling Shiv Sena faction. This sudden defection severely undermined Uddhav Thackeray’s group, reducing its representation in the Lok Sabha to just three members and bolstering the Shinde faction’s parliamentary strength.

The ongoing political contest across Parliament, courts, and streets underscores the urgency for strategic responses. In its 60 years, the Shiv Sena has split five times, highlighting its vulnerability to internal divisions and the need for effective management of such conflicts.

Just before the party founder, Bal Thackeray, named his son, Uddhav, as the Sena executive president in 2003, senior party leaders had........

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