From LIC Agent To Wife Of Maharashtra CM: The Journey Of Rashmi Thackeray

Who is Rashmi Thackeray: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's wife Rashmi has tested positive for COVID-19. Her son Aaditya Thackeray also tested positive for the virus on March 20. Rashmi and Uddhav Thackrey had taken the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on March 11. She will be home-quarantined at their residence Varsha.

Here's what we know about Rashmi Thackeray:

1. Rashmi Thackrey is a graduate with a BCom degree from Mumbai’s VG Vaze College. She is the daughter of a businessman from the Dombivli suburb and used to work in the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) as a contractual employee.

2. According to news reports, Rashmi helped and supported Uddhav Thackeray through his initial days as executive president of the party in 2003. She is said to have played an important role in his ascent to power.

3. The 54-year-old encouraged the Sena chief to enter active politics, and even contributed to planning out son Aditya’s election campaign in 2019.

4. Rashmi met Uddhav Thackeray through a friend and colleague at LIC. Jayjaywanti Thackeray, the daughter of the late Shrikant Thackeray and sister of Raj Thackeray, and Bal Thackeray's niece used to work with Rashami in the firm. It was she who introduced Rashmi to her cousin Uddhav Thackeray, who was also a photographer and was running an advertising agency at that time. The couple got married on December 13, 1989.

5. Rashmi's growing influence in the Shiv Sena grabbed the spotlight when last year on March 1 she replaced Uddhav Thackeray as the editor of the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, a daily founded by her father-in-law Balasaheb Thackeray.

6. Apart from politics, Rashmi is also a part of multiple business ventures including two companies where she holds the position of a director. They are Samved Real Estate Private Limited and Sahyog Dealers Private Limited. She is also a partner in three other Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) ventures.