Why Uddhav Thackeray may not move into official Maharashtra CM residence

The chief minister’s official residence has a fully functional office and a large conference room for him to carry out official work and hold meetings.

In a departure from practice, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is unlikely to move into his official residence, ‘Varsha’, in Malabar Hill. A day after he took oath as the chief minister, the Sena chief indicated he would use the official home for meetings as and when required.

People close to the chief minister said Uddhav Thackeray could use the official residence for meetings, and may even stay there when the state legislature is in session in Mumbai (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

It was expected that Thackeray, with his wife, Rashmi, and sons, Aaditya and Tejas, could move into the official residence by next week. The chief minister’s residence has a fully functional office and a large conference room for him to carry out official work and hold meetings.

When asked if he would shift to the sprawling 12,000-sqft bungalow in south Mumbai, Thackeray asked the reporters, “Should I shift or not?” Thackeray seemed to be at a loss for words to express his feelings towards his family home. He said, “There is nothing more to say about Matoshree. But having said that, once I have accepted these responsibilities, I will do all that is required, which includes meeting people, etc. Whenever I am required to go there [to Varsha], I will keep going.”

People close to the chief minister said Thackeray could use it for meetings, and may even stay there when the state legislature is in session in Mumbai, to avoid travelling from Kala Nagar, Bandra East, which is about 20km from Mantralaya, the state secretariat and Vidhan Bhavan, the legislature building.

Uddhav Thackeray, the first chief minister of Maharashtra whose birthplace is Mumbai, could become the first CM who didn’t move into the official residence with his family. Sena’s Manohar Joshi, who was the chief minister between 1995 and 1999, had a house in Mumbai, but he moved to Varsha. Later, Narayan Rane, who was the CM for nine months, also moved into the official residence with his family.

Meanwhile, former CM Devendra Fadnavis has started vacating the bungalow in the upscale area. A vehicle of professional movers and packers was seen outside the bungalow.