By Uddhav and Raj Thackeray Reunite Ahead of Mumbai Civic Polls, Announce Sena–MNS Alliance
After a gap of nearly two decades, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have reunited to contest the upcoming Mumbai civic elections together, formally reshaping the city’s political landscape with a renewed focus on Marathi identity.
At a joint press conference, Raj Thackeray announced that the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will fight the January 15 polls as alliance partners. Declaring that Mumbai would get a Marathi mayor, Raj said the mayor would be from the Sena–MNS alliance. Uddhav Thackeray echoed the confidence, asserting that “Mumbai will stay with us, come what may.”
Uddhav accused the central leadership of neglecting Mumbai and said the Thackerays had reunited out of a sense of responsibility toward Maharashtra. Taking a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s slogan, he reframed “batenge toh katenge” with a warning of his own, vowing political consequences for those attempting to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.
Raj Thackeray said the alliance would ensure that Marathi people get their due, invoking the legacy of Bal Thackeray, whose brand of Marathi pride has periodically defined Maharashtra’s politics. He added that the partnership was aimed at long-term stability, amid what he described as attempts to destabilise political parties in the state.
The cousins also invited leaders dissatisfied with the Shinde Sena–BJP coalition to join their front. Uddhav took an indirect jab at the Bharatiya Janata Party, calling on those uncomfortable with developments within it to align with the Thackerays.
Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation—India’s richest municipal body—are due within a month, with parties preparing for an intense campaign. While seat-sharing details were not officially disclosed, sources indicate that Uddhav’s faction may contest around 145–150 seats, the MNS about 65–70, and the Nationalist Congress Party—led by Sharad Pawar—around 10–12 seats.
The alliance shifts the political narrative from the debate over the “real Sena” to a consolidated “Thackeray Sena,” signalling a united bid to uphold Bal Thackeray’s legacy. Sena MP Sanjay Raut called the reunion a moment of joy for Marathi people, saying Maharashtra had suffered during the cousins’ separation.
Strategically, the partnership blends Uddhav’s support among traditional Sena loyalists with Raj’s aggressive style and youth appeal, potentially consolidating the Marathi vote base and impacting the faction led by Eknath Shinde.
The BJP, however, played down the alliance’s impact. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the cousins had betrayed Mumbai and dismissed claims that their reunion would significantly alter the electoral outcome.
