Who is Aaditya Thackeray? The new member of Shiv Sena`s National Executive

MUMBAI: In a much-speculated elevation, Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray was on Tuesday named as the member of Shiv Sena's National Executive.

The decision was taken during the internal polls of the party which were held on Tuesday at NSCI in Worli. Speculation was rife that the Thackeray scion will be given more responsibility and will play a bigger role in the organisation.

Ahead of the polls, a meeting of senior Sena leaders was held at Thackeray's 'Matoshree' bungalow in suburban Bandra on Monday. Former chief minister Manohar Joshi, industries minister Subhash Desai and MP Sanjay Raut were among those present at the meeting.

Who is Aaditya Thackeray? 

- Aaditya, son of Uddhav Thackeray, is the President of Yuva Sena. He established the Yuva Sena on 17 October 2010.

- He is viewed as Uddhav's political heir and has led various student agitations at Mumbai University. 

- He is also the President of Mumbai District Football Association

- Proficient in both English and Marathi, he is a good public speaker and is likely to play a big role in campaigning for the Shiv Sena in next year’s Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

- He was in news recently after he said that hotels and restaurants be kept open all night so that Mumbaiites could get a nightlife. 

- Earlier he and his Yuva Sena forced Mumbai University to withdraw Canada-based Rohinton Mistry’s book Such a Long Journey from its syllabus.

- His first book of poems, My Thoughts in White and Black, was published in 2007.

- He turned lyricist for a private album Ummeed, where he wrote all the eight songs.

- A photographer by passion, he says that he likes to picture that abstract, light and shadow and different things that one normally people do not notice.

- His biggest fear, as he once reportedly said, is that since he cannot remember his poems, he stores them in his phone. He thinks if he loses his phone someday, he will be finished.