Uddhav, Raj Thackeray join hands for BMC polls, pledge Marathi Mayor

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray on Wednesday formally announced an alliance for the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Nashik Municipal Corporation, signalling a major political realignment aimed at consolidating the Marathi vote bank and challenging the BJP-led MahaYuti.

The cousins arrived together at the press conference venue in the same car after paying tribute to Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray at his memorial at Chhatrapati Shivaji Park in Dadar — an image-heavy gesture underscoring political reconciliation after decades of rivalry.

Addressing a joint press conference, the two leaders, however, did not specify the list of civic bodies where the alliance would contest nor disclose seat-sharing details for the BMC. Raj Thackeray asserted that the next Mayor of Mumbai would be a “Marathi Manoos” from the alliance.

Uddhav Thackeray said the alliance was forged to protect the identity of Mumbai and Maharashtra. “We have come together to stay together and to foil attempts to divide Mumbai or isolate it from Maharashtra,” he said, urging the Marathi Manoos to remain united and resist pressure.

Raj Thackeray said the alliance was necessary to “save Maharashtra,” warning that “gangs are roaming to intimidate children and those aspiring to contest elections.”

Uddhav Thackeray added that anyone committed to protecting Maharashtra — including like-minded individuals within the BJP — was welcome to support the alliance. He also noted that Congress had already decided to go solo, reiterating that the UBT-MNS tie-up was independent of that decision.

Raj Thackeray appealed to the media to support the alliance.

The alliance is widely seen as a strategic bid to counter the BJP-led MahaYuti, particularly in Mumbai, where the Marathi vote has fragmented since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena. By projecting a “unified Thackeray family,” the two leaders aim to reclaim the legacy Shiv Sainik base.

Political observers describe the tie-up as a “make-or-break” move for both parties. The electoral strategy seeks to combine Raj Thackeray’s influence among core Marathi voters — estimated at around 26 per cent of Mumbai’s electorate — with Uddhav Thackeray’s expanded support base, including Muslim-majority pockets, following his more inclusive positioning during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Together, the alliance is targeting control over approximately 113 wards — 72 Marathi-dominated and 41 Muslim-influenced — out of the BMC’s total 227 seats.

After suffering a severe setback in the 2024 Assembly elections, both Thackeray factions are now battling for political survival. The alliance directly challenges Eknath Shinde’s claim to be the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s legacy. For the BJP, which has never had its own Mayor in Mumbai, the post-Sena split scenario was seen as a rare opportunity to capture the BMC.

However, a unified Thackeray front now poses the most significant obstacle to the BJP-Shinde combine’s ambitious “150-plus” seat target. For Uddhav Thackeray, the alliance is about defending his last political fortress — the BMC. For Raj Thackeray, it offers a path back to relevance after years of electoral decline.

Together, the cousins are betting that the “Thackeray brand” can still shape Mumbai’s political pulse.

IANS