
From branding South Indians as “yandu gundu” in the 70s to targeting North Indians as “bhaiyas”, regional identity has long been the Thackeray brand’s go-to political weapon – first with Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, then with Raj Thackeray’s breakaway Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Decades later, with both Uddhav and Raj politically sidelined, the Marathi Manoos card is back in play.