Maharashtra /mɑːhəˈrɑːʃtrə/ (Marathi: महाराष्ट् mahārāṣṭra [məharaːʂʈrə] ( listen)) is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India. Maharashtra is the richest state in India, contributing 15% of the country's industrial output and 13.3% of its GDP (2006–2007 figures).

Maharashtra is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Gujarat and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the northwest, Madhya Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Karnataka to the south, Andhra Pradesh to the southeast, and Goa to the southwest. The state covers an area of 307,731 km² (118,816 sq mi) or 9.84% of the total geographical area of India. Mumbai, the capital city of the state, is India's largest city and the financial capital of the nation. Nagpur is the second capital of the state. Marathi is the official language.

Maharashtra is the world's second most populous first-level administrative country sub-division. Were it a nation in its own right, Maharashtra would be the world's tenth most populous country ahead of Mexico.

Raj Shrikant Thackeray (Marathi: राज श्रीकांत ठाकरे) (born 14 June 1968) is the founder and president of the right-wing^{[citation needed]}Marathi ethnocentric regional political party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ("Maharashtra Reformation Army") in the state of Maharashtra, India. His official name is Swararaj which means the king of musical notes. He is the nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, and a cousin of the current Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray.

Raj was born on 14 June 1968 in a Marathi Kayastha (CKP) family to Shrikant Thackeray (younger brother of Bal Thackeray) and Kunda Thackeray (younger sister of Bal Thackeray's wife Meena Thackeray). Raj’s father Shrikant Thackeray was a musician, cartoonist and was also well versed in Urdu. He studied in Balmohan Vidyamandir, Mumbai and graduated from the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art, Mumbai. As a child he is said to have learnt the tabla, the guitar and the violin. He also loved drawing which later turned into a passion for drawing cartoons.

Shree Sanjay Nirupam is a third time Member of Indian Parliament. He has served two terms as a nominated MP in the Rajya Sabha first of which was as a Shiv Sena member and the second as a Congress party member. He now represents North Mumbai as an elected Congress member in the Lok Sabha. He is the Secretary of AICC and also Secretary-in-Charge of the Karnataka. He is one of the National spokespersons of the Congress Party to express the Party's view on different issues. He is a member of Parliamentary Committees like Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Energy Committee.

He was born in the village of Rohtas in Bihar. After completing his schooling in Rohtas, he moved to Patna in 1980 for higher Studies. During this time he took keen interest in active politics & extra circular activities along with completing his graduation (1984) with Honors in Arts, Political Science. He was earlier associated with Shiv Sena.

After completing his schooling in Rohtas, he moved to Patna in 1980 for higher Studies. During this time he took keen interest in active politics & extra circular activities along with completing his graduation (1984) with Honors in Arts, Political Science.