Uddhav & Raj Thackeray unite after 20 years: 'One vision, no division' - parties join forces

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu) : Shiv Sena (Uttar Pradesh) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray on Wednesday formally announced an alliance for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Nashik Municipal Corporation elections. The coming together signals a major political realignment aimed at consolidating the Marathi vote bank and challenging the BJP-led Mahayuti.

The two cousins ​​formally announced the alliance at a press conference after paying tribute at the memorial of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray at Chhatrapati Shivaji Park in Dadar. Raj Thackeray said that the next mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi manoos from the alliance. Uddhav Thackeray said that this alliance has been formed to protect the identity of Mumbai and Maharashtra. We have come together to thwart attempts to divide Mumbai or separate it from Maharashtra. He urged Marathi manoos to remain united and resist pressure.

Raj Thackeray stated that the alliance was necessary to save Maharashtra. He warned that a gang was roaming around to intimidate those who wished to contest the elections. Uddhav Thackeray stated that anyone committed to protecting Maharashtra, even a like-minded individual within the BJP, was welcome to support the alliance. He also stated that Congress had already decided to contest the elections alone. The UBP-MNS alliance was independent of that decision. Raj Thackeray also appealed to the media to support the alliance.

The alliance is widely seen as a strategic move to counter the BJP-led Mahayuti, especially in Mumbai, where the Marathi vote has been divided since a split in the Shiv Sena in 2022. By projecting a united Thackeray family, the two leaders aim to regain the Shiv Sena's traditional base.

The alliance aims to control approximately 113 wards out of the BMC's total 227 seats, of which 72 are Marathi-majority and 41 are Muslim-dominated. Following their crushing defeat in the 2024 assembly elections, both Thackeray factions are now fighting for political survival. This alliance directly challenges Eknath Shinde's claim to be the rightful heir to Bal Thackeray's legacy. For the BJP, which has never had its own mayor in Mumbai, the post-Shiv Sena split offers a rare opportunity to capture the BMC. The two cousins ​​are betting that the 'Thackeray brand' can still shape Mumbai's political pulse.