Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi is new Saamana editor

Three months after Uddhav Thackeray stepped down as Editor of Saamana after assuming the post of Chief Minister in Maharashtra, his wife Rashmi on Sunday took over the top post for the Shiv Sena mouthpiece. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut will continue to remain as executive editor.

On November 28, Uddhav had resigned as the editor and his name was dropped from the newspaper's print line after he took oath as chief minister.

Since the paper receives advertisements from the government, it was necessary for Uddhav to step down to avoid any conflict of interest, a Sena leader said.

Raut, on the other hand, has served as executive editor since the early 1990s, while working under the leadership of Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb



Thackeray, until the latter's death in November 2012. On the masthead of the paper, Balasaheb is named as the founding editor.

Until November, Uddhav's name would appear as the editor in the print line.

The Sena mouthpiece was launched in 1989 by Bal Thackeray. Even as a member of then ruling coalition with the BJP in the state and the NDA at the Centre, the editorial was critical of government policies at both places.

On one occasion, Saamana had also taken potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

One of the reasons cited by former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for strained relations between the Shiv Sena and BJP was Saamana's continuous criticism of the top leaders belonging to the saffon party.