In a major political development ahead of the crucial Mumbai civic elections, cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have reunited and announced an alliance between their parties. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will contest the upcoming civic body polls together, including the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election scheduled for January 15.
The announcement was made at a public event in Mumbai, marking a significant moment in Maharashtra politics. The reunion comes nearly two decades after the two leaders parted ways and emerged as political rivals. Addressing the gathering in Marathi, Raj Thackeray declared that Maharashtra had been waiting for this moment for a long time and formally announced that Shiv Sena and MNS were now united. He emphasized that the interests of Maharashtra and Marathi people would remain his top priority.
Uddhav Thackeray echoed similar sentiments, stressing unity and asserting that while Marathi people are generally peaceful, they would not hesitate to respond strongly if provoked. Both leaders also indicated that the mayor of Mumbai would be a Marathi leader from either Shiv Sena (UBT) or MNS, underlining their shared focus on regional pride.
While the alliance has been finalized, discussions on seat-sharing are still ongoing. Some disagreements have reportedly surfaced over constituencies in areas such as Dadar, Mahim, Borivali, Vikhroli, Bhandup, and Sewri. Uddhav Thackeray also confirmed that talks were underway with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), hinting at the possibility of a broader opposition understanding.
Beyond Mumbai, the alliance will also focus on civic polls in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nashik, and other municipal corporations across Maharashtra. The reunion follows their joint appearance in July this year, when they came together over issues related to Marathi identity and opposition to the introduction of Hindi as a compulsory third language in primary schools.
Raj Thackeray had quit the undivided Shiv Sena in 2006 to form the MNS, leading to years of political rivalry. Their renewed partnership is expected to significantly reshape the political contest in Mumbai’s civic elections.
