In a post on X, PM Modi said, "I pay homage to Balasaheb Thackeray Ji on his birth anniversary. He is widely respected and remembered for his commitment to public welfare and towards Maharashtra’s development. He was uncompromising when it came to his core beliefs and always contributed towards enhancing the pride of Indian culture."

Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena, a party wedded to the “Marathi manoos” cause, and later, to Hindu nationalism.

He enjoyed a large following in Maharashtra and his popularity gradually grew across the country.

He was born on January 23, 1926, in Pune and passed away at the age of 86 on November 17, 2012, in Mumbai.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari while paying tribute wrote in Marathi on X: "Tributes to Hindu hriday samrat revered Balasaheb Maharashtra.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also paid tributes to Thackeray. He wrote on X in Marathi, "Humble tributes to the revered Hindu hriday samrat, Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, on his birth anniversary."

Since Thackeray passed away a lot has changed in the party he founded. The Shiv Sena split in 2022 after Shinde led a rebellion against the then party leadership. This led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Agahadi (MVA) government and Uddhav Thackeray had to resign from the post of Chief Minister.

Shinde subsequently joined hands with the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra with him as the CM. Later, the Election Commission recognised the Shinde-led faction as the 'real' Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena is now split into two factions with the one commanding the support of a majority of its MLAs siding with the BJP, and another is headed by his son Uddhav Thackeray aligning with the Opposition in the state

On Thursday, the two Shiv Senas led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde will hold separate rallies in memory of Balasaheb Thackeray. Both factions have been trying to stake claim over his legacy.