Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is searching for a house for his family in Mumbai’s upscale Dadar area after his elder brother Jaydeo locked horns with him over their late father Bal Thackeray’s property.
A source close to Uddhav said he had zeroed in on an entire floor in a high-rise building. Uddhav is likely to seal the deal after the Lok Sabha elections.
According to the source, Uddhav doesn’t want more controversy over their three-storey ancestral home, Matoshree, in Bandra.
“Uddhav will earn sympathy from the Shiv Sena supporters if he moves out of Matoshree. He could claim that he took the step to maintain Balasaheb’s dignity. It will help the party in the upcoming Assembly elections in September,” the source said. An influential Shiv Sena leader from south Mumbai is negotiating with the developer of the high-rise building over the price of the selected floor. “It doesn’t mean that Uddhav will give up his right on Matoshree. He will not stay there but continue to possess the two floors until the dispute is not resolved,” the source said.
In his will, Thackeray has given Matoshree’s first floor to Jaydeo’s son Aishwarya, second floor to Uddhav’s sons Aditya and Tejas and third floor to Uddhav and his wife Rashmi. Jaydeo had challenged Uddhav’s right over the property in the Bombay High Court. He had argued that Uddhav might sell the bungalow using his political influence. The court has rejected his petition.