Uddhav Sena Uses AI to Recreate Bal Thackeray’s Voice, BJP Slams Move as ‘Disgraceful’
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has stirred a political storm by deploying artificial intelligence to simulate the voice of its late founder, Bal Thackeray, in a speech targeting the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The AI-generated audio was played during a public rally in Nashik and featured a nearly 13-minute address styled in the late leader’s signature tone and oratory style.
Opening with Thackeray’s iconic greeting — “Jamlelya majhya tamam Hindu bandhavanu, baghinino ani matano” — the AI voice delivered a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing it of betrayal and abandoning the decades-long alliance with the original Shiv Sena.
“We nurtured the BJP in Maharashtra. Now, we are only left giving them a shoulder to cry on,” the AI voice declared.
The Bharatiya Janata Party reacted strongly to the development, with Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule calling it a “disgrace” and accusing the Uddhav-led faction of misusing Bal Thackeray’s legacy for political mileage.
“When no one is listening to them, they resort to this childish act using the voice of revered Balasaheb Thackeray. It is shameful,” Bawankule posted on X.
He also listed instances he claimed were against Thackeray’s ideology, including the MVA’s alleged alliance with anti-Hindutva forces and corruption cases involving party figures.
“Those who once called Balasaheb ‘janab’, sat with those who opposed Ram Mandir and insulted Veer Savarkar, are now invoking his voice. Balasaheb would have never allowed this,” he added.
This marks the first time Shiv Sena (UBT) has used AI-generated voice technology for political messaging. According to party insiders, the move was aimed at emotionally reconnecting with loyal Sena voters and countering the narrative set by the Shinde-BJP combine.
In the speech, the AI voice referred to Shinde’s faction as “traitors” and accused them of stabbing Bal Thackeray in the back, both politically and ideologically.
“Even a hundred of your fathers can’t end Shiv Sena’s existence,” the voice declared in a tone mimicking Thackeray’s firebrand style.
Party sources indicated that this AI strategy could be replicated in future rallies as Maharashtra heads into crucial Lok Sabha and state elections.
In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance — comprising BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP — won a sweeping 230 of 288 seats. The BJP secured 132 seats, while Shinde’s Sena got 57 and NCP 41.
In stark contrast, the MVA bloc — Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), and the Congress — managed only 46 seats. Uddhav Thackeray’s party itself secured just 20.
The Shiv Sena split in 2022 after Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, collapsing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde’s faction later allied with the BJP, and he was sworn in as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, significantly altering the state’s political landscape.
Bal Thackeray, who passed away in 2012, remains a revered figure among Marathi voters, particularly for his hardline Hindutva stance and regional pride messaging. The use of AI to revive his voice represents a bold — and controversial — step by the Uddhav-led faction to reclaim lost ground.
