Another Thackeray on stage; Tejas' presence fuels speculation

The presence of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's son Tejas at an election rally on Wednesday prompted speculation of his political moves, but was promptly dismissed by his father.

The Sena president, in his campaign speech, said Tejas, younger sibling of party leader Aaditya Thackeray, had come on the stage merely to watch the rally, held at Sangamner in Ahmednagar district.

Tejas, 24, was in the news recently after a new species of snakes, discovered in the Western Ghats, was named Boiga thackerayi (Thackerays cat snake) after him, for his contribution to the find.

"Tejas has only come to watch the rally. He is more at home in forest," Uddhav Thackeray said.

Aaditya Thackeray is contesting the October 21 Assembly election from Worli constituency in Mumbai.

In 2016, Tejas was credited with discovery of three new species of freshwater crabs, endemic to the Western Ghats.

The find involved many field trips across coastal Konkan, Satara, Kolhapur and Ahemadnagar districts.